Everyone’s talking about AI in testing. And a lot of organizations are “doing Agile.” But here’s the pattern: AI accelerates whatever system you already have, and most delivery systems have a hidden flaw: decision-making is unclear, delayed, or dumped on QA at the end.

That’s why teams can add AI, automation, new events, and new roles… and still ship with stress, rework, and surprise defects.

This talk is a practical, behaviour-first look at what actually drives quality outcomes: a quality operating system built on a small set of explicit decisions, who owns them, when they happen, and what “good enough” means before the release train is already moving.

Attendees will leave with a simple model they can apply immediately to reduce late-stage testing chaos, improve flow, and use AI safely without hallucinating confidence.

The 5 decisions that determine quality outcomes more than any tool (including AI) ever will – How to spot performative transformation vs real change, and why QA feels the difference first – A risk-based release model that works with (or without) AI: clearer guardrails, fewer last-minute debates – Practical moves to reduce late-stage testing chaos: fewer handoffs, tighter feedback loops, earlier risk calls- How to use AI safely in quality work: guardrails for test design, flaky test triage, and defect confidence scoring (without pretending certainty)

Rob is a seasoned quality engineering leader with over two decades of experience spanning diverse industries and technology domains. He has driven meaningful impact in QA process improvement, test automation strategy, innovative solution R&D, and the development of high-performing Agile teams.Currently serving as Vice-President of TASSQ, Rob brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and people-centric leadership — coaching executives and teams alike while guiding organizations through DevOps, MLOps, and AI quality engineering transformations. He is a recognized practitioner in AI-enhanced SDLC delivery and pioneering AI model quality frameworks grounded in rigorous quality engineering principles.Rob holds dual B.Sc. degrees in Computer Science and Information Management Systems from the University of Ottawa, a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University, and carries the Certified Agile Coach (ICP-ACC) designation from ICAgile, alongside CSM and CSPO certifications. His leadership philosophy centers on fostering psychological safety, agility, and a growth mindset — enabling teams to deliver sustainable, high-value software at scale.

Ari Rowland served as Accenture Canada’s Quality Engineering Practice Lead for nearly a decade, overseeing the sales and operations of all quality engineering and testing initiatives nationwide and is now working to help clients with their quality issues independently. He brings extensive cross-industry expertise, most recently directing one of the largest transformation program in 30 years at a major retail client to ensure quality throughout their business systems implementation. Ari is committed to fostering innovation and making Canada a go-to place for Quality services in various ways including co-founding the Canadian Quality and Testing Association.

Rob is a seasoned quality engineering leader with over two decades of experience spanning diverse industries and technology domains. He has driven meaningful impact in QA process improvement, test automation strategy, innovative solution R&D, and the development of high-performing Agile teams.Currently serving as Vice-President of TASSQ, Rob brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and people-centric leadership — coaching executives and teams alike while guiding organizations through DevOps, MLOps, and AI quality engineering transformations. He is a recognized practitioner in AI-enhanced SDLC delivery and pioneering AI model quality frameworks grounded in rigorous quality engineering principles.Rob holds dual B.Sc. degrees in Computer Science and Information Management Systems from the University of Ottawa, a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University, and carries the Certified Agile Coach (ICP-ACC) designation from ICAgile, alongside CSM and CSPO certifications. His leadership philosophy centers on fostering psychological safety, agility, and a growth mindset — enabling teams to deliver sustainable, high-value software at scale.

Ian is Vice President at Innosphere SDG, a software engineering consultancy and staffing firm based out of Guelph, ON. With deep roots in development, data, and quality practices, he is at the forefront of integrating AI tooling into modern quality engineering and test automation practices – helping teams build smarter, ship faster, and scale with confidence.