STARWEST 2026 - Leadership Summit Sessions
Thursday, September 24
Reception and Summit Kickoff: As a Leader, What Is Keeping You Up at Night?
Kickoff the Testing & Quality Leadership Summit with a reception and some networking.
Friday, September 25
Summit Welcome - Opening Remarks
After enjoying the Summit breakfast starting at 8:00 AM, join your moderator Jeff Payne for an interactive day at the STARWEST Testing & Quality Leadership Summit 2026.
AI in Testing Is Not a Tool Strategy: A Leadership Workshop to Build Vision, Governance, and Measurable Impact
AI is no longer a side experiment in testing; it is a leadership mandate. Yet many organizations remain stuck in tool demos, disconnected pilots, unclear ROI, and "automation theater." Quality and engineering leaders are being asked to “bring AI into testing,” but few have a practical blueprint for turning that ask into a scalable business strategy. In this high-impact session, we move beyond the AI buzzwords to deliver a strategic playbook for championing an AI testing strategy. Leaders will learn how to transition from reactive tools-first adoption to a 360-degree vision that connects...
Summit Lean Coffee: Leadership Secrets from the Room
While everyone has their own approach to leadership, we all have our go-to tips and tricks that can help others lead teams, organizations, and ourselves. These may be techniques for motivating staff, growing team skills, managing senior executives, or finding the right people for your organization.
During this collaborative lean coffee session, Jeffery Payne will facilitate a discussion to elicit and discuss those leadership secrets used effectively by Summit participants. Using a lean coffee meeting format, participants will choose which aspects of leadership to discuss, vote on...
Think Tank Discussion Parts I, II, III, and Wrap-Up
Think Tank Discussion Part I: Problem Definitions | 11:15 AM
Join with your peers in an engaging and highly interactive session to discuss the issues that affect you most. Using answers to the question “As a Leader, What is Keeping You Up at Night?” posed at Thursday’s evening reception, participants will form small groups to work on finding solutions to pressing leadership & management issues. Discussions will review identified issues, barriers to change, and focus on innovative strategies and practical next steps. At the end of the think tank, all feedback will be collected and...