This International Women’s Day, we want to shine a light on the testers behind the screens.
For 30 years, the EuroSTAR Conference community has recognised that impact. From inspiring speakers and dedicated Programme Committee members to passionate attendees, women have helped shape one of the world’s largest gatherings of software testing professionals.
Historically, figures like Dot Graham have championed the contributions of women in testing through her influential books, inspiring generations to enter the field and raise the bar for quality and professionalism. Her work reminds us that the impact of women in testing has long been vital—and continues to grow.
We’re highlighting the brilliant women who have taken to the stage at EuroSTAR over the past few years—leaders who are not just talking about the future of testing, but actively shaping it.
One Agent to Watch Them All: Building an AI Test Monitor – Paula Bassagañas
Joining us again this year is Paula Bassagañas. Paula works as an IT Architect specializing in Test Engineering and backend development. Her career spans multiple industries, with a strong focus on the health sector, where she has developed data platform test strategies, particularly for ETL processes.
Last year in Edinburgh, Paula’s tutorial was one of the first to sell out and was highly rated by attendees. In 2026, she returns with her eagerly anticipated hands-on session, where you’ll learn how to build your own AI test monitor using Model Context Protocols (MCPs). MCPs act like a modern USB port for AI, turning your existing APIs into contracts AI can actually use. Because when it comes to AI, testers need action, not just words.
DISC-overing Yourself to Bring Out Testing at its Best
We’re delighted to welcome this dynamic trio:
Tanja Vos – Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain), with over 25 years teaching and researching software testing. She collaborates closely with companies on automated testing projects in industrial settings.
Yvonne Vos – Interim manager, certified DISC specialist, trainer, and entrepreneur. With a background in Economics from the University of Amsterdam, she has held senior roles across both profit and non-profit organisations, bringing deep expertise in leadership and team performance.
Linda van de Vooren – Experienced software tester based in the Netherlands, combining practical expertise with a passion for collaboration and creativity.
Together, they deliver an engaging tutorial exploring how different personality types influence testing approaches — and how embracing those differences can turn individual quirks into collective strength.
Will AI Take Your Testing Job? – Dona Sarkar
For International Women’s Day, we’re especially proud to spotlight our keynote speaker, Dona Sarkar. Currently working within Microsoft’s AI and Copilot, Dona focuses on helping organisations use AI and make it genuinely useful. She is also a multi-published author and entrepreneur, known for encouraging professionals to run bold experiments in their careers.
In her keynote, Dona tackles the question many testers are asking: will AI take your testing job? She cuts through the hype to focus on real systems being built today, showing how quality has moved from the end of the pipeline to the very start of every AI initiative. Her message is clear: testers are uniquely positioned to lead this shift. Don’t react to the future – lead it.
Do It For the Plot – Sanne Visser
Sanne Visser is a test manager with over a decade of experience working on everything from insurance systems to railway software solutions. She previously chaired the blockchain testing community and is known for her strong focus on end-to-end testing in complex environments.
In this powerful session, Sanne speaks to something we’ve all experienced: projects that feel stuck. The product is struggling, the team is exhausted, and no one knows the ‘right’ answer – yet no one wants to make the first move. Inspired by the phrase “do it for the plot,” she challenges us to choose courage and become the main character in your story.
How AI is Changing the DNA of Test Automation – Samer Naqvi
With more than 18 years of experience in QA, Samer Naqvi has built her career around strengthening testing practices and positioning quality as a true value driver. As a Test Architect at Global Logic in the UK, she equips teams with advanced methodologies and modern automation strategies. She is also a passionate advocate for women in tech, regularly speaking to inspire the next generation.
Her track talk explores how AI is transforming automation from predictable, rule-based scripting into self-learning systems. But with that shift come important questions: How do we validate what AI creates? How do we ensure transparency and ethical control? Samer offers practical guidance on integrating AI into your testing lifecycle – not just to move faster, but to build smarter, more resilient quality processes.
Dynamic Security Testing Through Functional Automation – Sara Martínez Giner
Sara Martínez Giner was the EuroSTAR 2025 RisingSTAR Award winner for her brilliant idea Testing for a Secure Digital Future. She shared a practical approach to integrating Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) into existing web tests using ZAProxy, enabling functional tests to drive security analysis automatically. Her session highlighted how security testing can become a natural, seamless part of CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices.
Women in Testing – Diversity & Inclusion
Fiona Østensvig and Tone Molyneux led an interactive session on building diverse testing teams, exploring gender, culture, cognitive differences, and LGTBIQA+ representation. Attendees participated in huddles and Lean Coffee discussions, uncovering practical ways to encourage inclusion, creativity, and collaboration. This session reinforced that diverse teams aren’t just fairer – they’re smarter and more innovative.
Africa’s Tech Growth: The Role of QA and Women Leaders – Abiola Rasaq
Abiola Rasaq, founder of The Bug Detective and the Women in Testing Initiative, highlighted the growing influence of women in leadership across Africa’s tech industry. Her session shared real-world examples of how QA drives innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth, inspiring attendees to break barriers and shape the future of African tech.
Breaking Test Stereotypes: Who Is Testing and Why It Matters – Isabel Evans
Isabel Evans has spent over 30 years in IT, including roles as a quality manager, test manager, and consultant. Her research focuses on human factors in testing and test tools, drawing directly from her hands-on experience.
In her session, Isabel explored the diversity behind the people who test software. Her study spanned multiple countries and industries, showing that testers come from varied backgrounds, often with surprising prior careers and interests. She challenges stereotypes that testing is boring, easy, or replaceable by AI and offers practical suggestions for improving recruitment, onboarding, and development.
The Bigger Picture: Women in QA and Tech Today
The software testing community has long been a place where women make valuable contributions at every level. From leadership, strategy, and community building, their work shapes not only how software is built but also why quality matters—and how teams learn, grow, and innovate together.
By celebrating past achievements and supporting the next generation of voices, we’re helping build a future where quality engineering reflects the diversity of the people who use, build, and rely on technology every day.
