Keynote Presentations

What are today's primary challenges as seen by our software quality and testing leaders? What will the future hold for software development and testing?

Join four recognized authors and leaders across the business and academic sectors as they look at quality software startegies, testing practices, and personal development both now and in the future.

1. Enterprise Software Quality
2. Application Quality Management - Trends and Future Directions
3. Risks for Success
4. The SEI: Committed to Quality Improvement
   

 

Wednesday, September 24th  8:30 a.m.

Enterprise Software Quality

Sally Piao
Oracle Corporation

After 30 years, Oracle remains the gold standard for database technology and applications in enterprises throughout the world.  Oracle is the world's leading supplier of software for information management and the world's second largest independent software company. Oracle technology can be found in nearly every industry and in the data centers of 98 of the Fortune 100 companies.  Founded in 1977, Oracle employs 70,000 associates worldwide.  Sally Piao is the Senior Director of System Technologies for Oracle Corporation. In her keynote, Sally will discuss the challenge of providing quality assurance for large scale enterprise database software that serves as the platform for many other enterprise applications.  Having been a corporate practitioner for over ten years, she will speak in depth on the life cycle of the development process which makes the collaboration of over a thousand developers effective and efficient.  Given the competitive market landscape, Sally will also guide the audience through strategies to secure senior management commitment to the quality goal without compromising time to market.  She will also share some of the best practices at Oracle that have already gone through years of refinement.

• Understand the challenges to quality assurance in enterprise platform software
• Learn time-tested best practices
• Explore life cycle development practices for large scale software development

Sally has worked at Oracle Corporation since 1993.  She has specialized in large scale systems simulation and testing for more than ten years and has contributed to many releases of the Oracle Database, Middleware, and Collaboration products.  Sally chairs the Quality Council of the database division at Oracle, driving development and testing projects to ensure and enhance the quality of database releases.  She is in charge of early adoption of beta software within Oracle's internal IT divisions, following the Oracle principle of using their own products. She also runs the vendor certification program, maintaining compatibility and interoperability of vendor OS, clusterware, file systems, and storage products with Oracle database products. Sally reports directly to the Senior Vice President and Head of Oracle Database Development.  She holds a master's degree from the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree from the University of Science and Technology of China.

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Wednesday, September 24th  10:05 a.m.

Application Quality Management - Trends and Future Directions

Subbu Iyer
HP Software

Hewlett-Packard operates in 170 countries around the world, applying new thinking and ideas to create simple, valuable, and trusted experiences with technology. Since it's inception in 1939, HP has focused on providing meaningful innovation, creating the useful and the significant.  Subbu Iyer serves as Senior Director of Products in the Application Quality Management group, which is part of HP Software's Business Technology Optimization (BTO) unit.  Subbu is responsible for product management and marketing activities for the company's quality management solutions and integrations across product lines. 

The ecosystems that support technology and business services are growing larger and more complex than ever before.  With this fact come increased costs and the potential for serious issues surrounding service quality.  Multiple, dynamic service delivery mechanisms, more players, models, and applications are progressively involved in service delivery chains making it more difficult and time-consuming to determine the causes of and resolutions to service incidents.  Yet, service quality is a deciding factor in customer satisfaction. In his keynote presentation, Subbu will discuss the application quality management market and its drivers. He will discuss the current state, challenges, and future directions of quality management. The discussion will identify evolving application architectures and their implications on both quality management and your career as a quality management professional.

Understand the real lifecycle of an application:

• Learn about the current and future trends in quality management
• Examine application security testing and quality management
• Explore the implications on career challenges and prospects for quality professional

Prior to joining HP Software, Subbu was VP of Marketing and Business Development at OpenClovis, where he was responsible for worldwide product strategy, marketing, and global partnerships.  Previously, Subbu was a successful technology entrepreneur and also held marketing, sales, and technical leadership positions at VERITAS Software, Oracle, and startups in the software industry.  Subbu holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and an MS in Engineering from Louisiana State University.

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Thursday, September 25th  8:30 a.m.

Risks for Success

Denise Marek
Life by Design

Denise Marek is known as the "The Worry Management Expert."  She is an international speaker and author of CALM: A Proven Four-Step Process Designed Specifically for Women Who Worry.  In addition to a full speaking schedule, Denise also hosts Life by Design on Channel 12 CHEX TV, Durham.  Denise has helped thousands of individuals to eliminate worry, restore their inner peace, and gain the confidence to take risks.

Consider an experience that has happened to each one of us.  You knew what you wanted; you started taking the steps to achieve your goals, and then obstacles'new and old' brought you to a grinding halt.  The good news is that you can overcome these roadblocks and achieve the level of success you desire and deserve and Denise Marek will show you how.  In her eye-opening and humorous keynote, Denise will personally outline the three essential risks for success that will transform your life forever.

• Learn the essential risks for success
• Discover a tool for determining if a risk is worth the reward
• Overcome the barriers that stop you in your tracks
• Break free from self-limiting beliefs
• Conquer your fears and get your life on track

Specializing in worry management and risk taking, Denise has been speaking on these topics for over ten years.  AIG, American Express, Assante Advisory Services, Canada Revenue Agency, Industry Canada, TD Canada Trust, Toyota, and RBC, are among the many corporations and professional groups that have invited Denise to speak at their events.  In June 2001, Denise earned the coveted Toastmasters International Accredited Speaker Award for Professionalism and Outstanding Achievements in Public Speaking.  Since its inception, only fifty-seven individuals worldwide have received this Accredited Speaker designation.

Join Denise as she discusses strategies for letting go of worry, taking risks, gaining balance, and finding pleasure and satisfaction in life.

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Friday, September 26th  8:30 a.m.

The SEI: Committed to Quality Improvement

Mike Phillips
Software Engineering Institute

Since 1984, the Carnegie MellonŽ Software Engineering Institute (SEI) has served the nation as a federally funded research and development center. The SEI staff has advanced software engineering principles and practices and has served as a national resource in software engineering, computer security, and process improvement.  As part of Carnegie Mellon University, which is well known for its highly rated programs in computer science and engineering, the SEI operates at the leading edge of technical innovation. Mike Phillips is the Program Manager for CMMIŽ at the SEI, leading the Capability Maturity Model Integration teams for the institute.

In his keynote presentation, Mike will address the strategic direction of the Software Engineering Institute.  While he will reference the CMMIŽ Product Suite for which he is responsible, emphasis will be placed on the wide range of initiatives that provide the sound basis for the best practices models he manages. The key elements of architecture, systems of systems, and security, as well as process related activities such as the Team Software Process (TSP) and the SEI's Measurement and Analysis focus will be covered.  Mike will also discuss cross-cutting initiatives such as PrIME, in an effort to address multiple models and methods for improved synergy.

• Learn about the strategic direction of the Software Engineering Institute
• Understand key initiatives currently underway
• Explore opportunities for synergy among key models and methodologies

Prior to his current role, Mike was responsible for Transition Enabling activities at the SEI.  As a colonel in the Air Force, he managed the $36B development program for the B-2 in the B-2 SPO and commanded the 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.  In addition to his bachelor's degree in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Academy, Mike holds masters degrees in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Tech, in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, and in International Affairs from Salve Regina College and the Naval War College.  Mike has authored various technical reports, technical notes, and CMMIŽ columns and articles.  Additionally, Mike regularly presents CMMIŽ material at conferences around the world.

 

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