Alistair Gerrard

When my childhood dream to become a commercial airline pilot came crashing down, I fell back upon my long-standing interest in computers, which started with learning basic on a Commodore Vic 20. This journey ultimately led to reading Computing and Information Technology at university, via Amstrad 1512 (PC DD) and Commodore Amiga ownership, and a holiday job as front-line PC Support for both the Associated Examining Board and SMART Store Windsor (part of Andersen Consulting). Upon graduating I applied my problem-solving skills into supporting production software directly with end-users, leading a role testing charge card authorizations for Diners Club International, and ultimately this gave me my first opportunity in automation when I automated regression testing for authorizations and performance tested the international authorizations switch. As well as problem-solving I brought with me an innate curiosity into not only how it works but a willingness to pursue my questioning until I was confident in not only my understanding of a technology or a problem but also my ability to communicate my understanding to others and to help find solutions. This experience has led me into a career leading technical / non-functional testing where the combination of my technical skills and my ability to convey these, paired with a delivery focus, has led me to success initially on project delivery, and latterly leading teams of technical testers, supporting pre-sales activities, and strategic thought leadership for Sogeti UK.