2025 Speakers

Senior QA Analyst

Alyse Kravetz

Epic Games

As a Sr. QA Analyst at Epic Games, I am part of the Epic Identity QA Team, where I apply my software testing expertise and passion for gaming to ensure the quality and performance of the Epic Games Online and Account Services. I collaborate with a number of different teams, partners and roles to identify, report, and resolve issues, using various tools and methodologies, such as Jira, TestRail, and Agile.

I have a strong background in business administration and management, with two Associate’s degrees from the University of Central Missouri and the University of Phoenix. I also have over three years of experience as a Software Test Manager at GreenBox POS, where I led and coordinated testing activities for a fintech company that provided blockchain-based payment solutions. Additionally, I have a creative side, as I enjoy painting, reading, and learning new software skills in my spare time. My goal is to combine my technical, business, and artistic talents to create and deliver innovative and engaging products and experiences for the gaming industry.

QC Operations Manager

Ayan Sen

he/him/his

Ubisoft India

With over 30 years of gaming experience across Sony PlayStation (PS2, PS3, PS4), Xbox, and PC, Ayan has developed a deep appreciation for diverse gaming genres, including FPS, strategy, sports, and racing. For Ayan, gaming has been more than just entertainment—it has fostered a strong sense of dedication, adaptability, and problem-solving. A long-time fan of Prince of Persia, Ayan is drawn to immersive storytelling and skill-based gameplay. Beyond gaming, his professional journey has reinforced a key lesson: dedication is the foundation of success. Whether in the gaming world or the workplace, Ayan believes that with focus and persistence, anything is achievable.

Senior SDET

Ben Salem

he/him

Epic Games

Quality Engineer

Crewe Gerhardt

he/him

Xbox Game Studios

Quality Engineer II

Dalton Waterbury

Xbox Game Studios

Dalton Waterbury is a Quality Engineer at Studios Quality, part of Xbox Game Studios. Since entering the gaming industry in 2016, Dalton has worked on various Xbox titles, focusing on ensuring stability, performance, and test coverage.

Senior Director of Technology

David King

he/him

Electronic Arts

David has been working in Software Quality Engineering in the games industry for over 15 years, working directly on 15 titles and franchises including Need For Speed, Battlefield, and Star Wars: Battlefront.

He is now responsible for Electronic Arts’ QA central technology teams and global technology strategy, where he is working with all game teams on embracing established engineering patterns and new technologies to enable creating the next generation of game experiences. David believes that QA should lead by example when it comes to creating software and that QA can never the bottleneck holding back a team.

David has a particular passion for Automated Testing starting from his first day at EA when he had to automate Harry Potter wandering around Hogwarts to test the pathing system in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. More recently he has spoken at several conferences about how Automated Testing can help every game team from the smallest indie studio to the largest AAA project achieve their goals in a scalable fashion.

David believes that he can have the greatest impact on making amazing games by creating a better environment to develop them in. He has taken this belief and focused it into establishing his career in Software Quality Engineering and credibility for the discipline.”

Director of Product Management

Ivan Doumenc

he/him

Electronic Arts

Ivan has a dual background in technology and business. His first job fresh out of business school was as an assistant store manager in a Louis Vuitton store in downtown Paris. There, he learned that the key to serving customers is to build a relationship. He then became a software engineer and now serves as a senior product manager with EA Sports Quality Engineering. His job there is to understand his stakeholders’ pain points, empathize with them, and formulate a product strategy and roadmap accordingly. His favorite motto: “As Quality Engineers we don’t build tools, we transform workflows.”

Jawad Shakil

he/him

Ubisoft

Jawad is a seasoned Product Manager at Ubisoft Pune, with a vast background in the Quality Control space. He partners with global teams to drive Automation, Data, and R&D initiatives that enhance testing efficiency and empower QC teams.
A dedicated advocate for innovation, he is committed to connecting technology and game development to develop tools and solutions that enhance the efficiency and quality of our games.

Software Quality Engineer II

Jennifer Chesnes

she/her

Xbox Game Studios

QA Lead

Karol Truchan

he/him

Netflix Games

After his studies in Physics, Karol embarked on a journey of self discovery and purpose, leaving his native Poland to explore the Europe. This journey led him to Finland, where a heartfelt calling prompted him to settle. He now resides there with his wife and two children, eagerly awaiting a positive response from the animal shelter regarding the adoption of a cat, despite being a dog person himself.

With nearly two decades of experience working with renowned brands such as Nokia and Rovio, Karol is currently the QA Lead at Netflix Games. In this role, he is collaborating with his team to introduce next generation tools and a holistic approach to testing. His efforts are focused on improving the development process, fostering a passion for high quality development, and boosting confidence in the game’s quality.

Senior Quality Lead

Kevin Verboort

he/him

Xbox Game Studios

Kevin received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Oregon State University and is a 33+ year veteran at Microsoft. He started out working in the Product Support Services group for four years before moving into a testing role working on the first version of Microsoft Outlook. In late 1997, Kevin was offered to a chance to work on something that he really enjoyed, sports games. Since that time, he has spent 28 years working on 30+ different games in various testing roles. Most recently he worked on the ARA: History Untold project as Senior Quality Lead. Outside of games, Kevin enjoys traveling with his wife, hiking with wife and dog, and watching sports with family which includes two young men.

Quality Lead

Lewis Reid

Xbox Game Studios

Lewis Reid is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in quality management and leadership. As a Senior Quality Lead at Microsoft, Lewis has consistently demonstrated his ability to drive excellence and innovation in quality assurance processes. His effective communication skills and commitment to fostering a culture of quality have made him a trusted advisor and leader within his organization. Lewis has successfully implemented strategies that enhance product quality and customer satisfaction. Throughout his career, he has been a passionate advocate for continuous improvement and has led numerous initiatives resulting in significant advancements in quality management practices.

Associate Producer

Marc Manuel Filiuta

he/him

Ubisoft Milan

Before joining Ubisoft in 2021, Marc contributed to building one of the biggest Network Automation endeavors of Ericsson’s Managed Services department. In the capacity of Automation Driver, Marc supported Ericsson Italy and Ericsson Romania in designing automated routines, managing their development and service introduction. The addition of heuristic approaches to the automatic triage of large network disservices has played a pivotal role in delivering key results on time.

Later on, the passion for creative storytelling and worldbuilding has brought him to Ubisoft Bucharest, where he led a QC Automation team of expert scripters and bright programmers in a journey of building automated tests and evolving the approaches to auto testing in several ways.

Today, Marc is working at Ubisoft Milan, with equally bright gameplay and engine programmers as an Associate Producer, still owning automation on his project.

Senior QA Manager

Matt McClure

2K Games

Senior Software Engineer

Michael Harnetty

he/him

DICE Studios

Technical Quality Analyst II

Nick Lewis

he/him

Riot Games

Nick has been working in Quality Assurance for 11 years on various different projects for League of Legends. He got started on the QA Tools and Automation team which was a team of technically minded QA folks who focused on upgrading tools and automation to make testing more efficient and easier for everyone. Since then he’s worked on game teams, service teams, and meta-game systems teams where he’s learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work with regard to tools and automation solutions for big and small teams. Outside of work, Nick is a father of two, an avid gamer, and an obsessive television addict who will talk to anyone who happens to get close about what they are currently playing or watching.

QV Development Director

Philippe Derosa

EA Motive

I’ve been in QA and Production for 30 years, much of it spent in games, some of it in finance and hardware.

Head of QA

Razvan Safta

he/him

Funcom Bucharest

Started off as tester for 3 months as a summer job during university. Moved on to be QA Coach/Trainer, QA Lead, QA Coordinator then joined the production teams.
Now, I’m the Head of QA for Funcom where we are working on creating a stroger bridge between QA and Prod.

Director - Quality Control

Ritu Chowdhary

Ubisoft – Pune

Ritu Chowdhary leads the Quality Control function at Ubisoft India, spearheading innovative strategies and long-term planning to enhance the studio’s quality control capabilities. Her focus is on accelerating growth and enhancing player experiences through memorable gaming innovations. With over twenty years in test automation, she passionately drives technology advancement and delivers state-of-the-art solutions.

Associate Manager

Rose Jakab

Playstation Studios QA

Rose is an Associate Manager in the Publishing Compliance team at PlayStation, where she has spent the past year leading efforts in compliance and standardisation. Prior to this, she managed the Publishing Compliance and Operations Support team within PlayStation Studios QA. She now oversees both areas, allowing her to bridge compliance processes with a focus on harmonising and improving workflows across teams.

With a diverse professional background that includes roles in the cruise ship industry, investment banking, and most recently in the games industry, Rose brings a unique perspective to every challenge. She is a passionate advocate for the practical and ethical use of AI, and believes that standardisation is a critical success factor in its effective application. Rose is particularly interested in how collaboration around AI tools can strengthen relationships with studios and elevate the quality of services provided.

R&D Manager

Sarvesh Shroff

he/him

Ubisoft India Studios

Sarvesh is a seasoned R&D Manager with experience in leading Product Development, QA/QC, and Applied Research teams combining customer insights, project delivery, and technical perspectives. He plays a pivotal role in spearheading R&D initiatives, evaluating prototypes, guiding industrialization, developing analytics and reporting solutions. His mission is to lead software programs at the intersection of business value, technology, and creativity, leveraging the power of AI and innovation.

Quality Engineer

Selina Coppersmith

she/they/them

Xbox Game Studios

Selina Coppersmith (she/they) is a Quality Engineer with Studios Quality at Xbox. They focus on supporting studios in making their games more accessible, bringing their passion for accessibility and inclusion to the gaming industry. With an unconventional path to tech that began not in classrooms but through 20 years of Taekwondo training and teaching, Selina first joined Xbox as a movement specialist for Xbox Fitness before discovering their talent for quality engineering.

Selina has supported accessibility efforts on several titles, most notably Forza Motorsport, helping the game earn industry recognition. Beyond her technical role, Selina facilitates monthly DEI conversations within her organization, creating spaces for authentic dialogue about diversity and inclusion.

A writer who explores themes of identity and resilience, Selina approaches their work with the same authenticity that drives her presentation topic: “Embracing Authenticity: Bringing Your Self to Work.” Their non-traditional background has shaped their unique perspective on what it means to show up as your whole self in professional spaces – something she believes creates better products, stronger teams, and more meaningful connections.

Senior QA Manager

Shant Boyatzian

2K Games

Shant Boyatzian is a Senior QA Manager at 2K Games, with a career spanning 20 years in the video game industry. He began his journey as a QA tester in 2006, quickly making a name for himself with his keen eye for detail and dedication to quality. In 2013, Shant relocated to Las Vegas with 2K Games, where he played a key role in onboarding, training, and developing new hires in the region. While the move was challenging, as it meant being away from his immediate family—who he is very close to—it marked a significant step in his career growth.

In 2016, Shant made the difficult decision to leave 2K Games for an opportunity at 505 Games. This move was particularly tough, as he credited much of his industry experience to his time at 2K. However, the transition allowed him to expand his skill set in resource management, budget allocation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration within a close-knit team. Additionally, the opportunity brought Shant back to his hometown of Los Angeles, reuniting him with his family.

In 2021, Shant returned to 2K Games as a QA Manager, leading the relaunch of the WWE franchise with WWE 2K22. Under his leadership, the franchise saw four consecutive critically acclaimed releases. Throughout his career, Shant has contributed to some of the industry’s most celebrated titles, including Bioshock, NBA, WWE, Control, and Bloodstained. With a passion for quality and a deep commitment to his craft, Shant continues to shape the gaming world with his expertise and leadership.

Software Engineering Manager

Thu Thai

EA DICE

A dedicated leader with a focus on building high-performance engineering teams and managing distributed groups. Experienced in coaching, people management, and project oversight. Skilled in fostering collaboration and strategic planning, committed to empowering teams and optimizing performance.

Principal Quality Designer

Timothy Lewinson

he/him

Electronic Arts

Timothy is an industry veteran with over two decades of experience in software development, with a unique vantage point that allows him to lead and evaluate projects from all sides – a charismatic producer who speaks directly to the heart of gamers, applying a wealth of quality and operations knowledge, as an experienced design director. Central to his success is employing strategic vision for the big picture on quality for a plethora of initiatives, platforms and market environments. Whether premium, live-service, or free-to-play, Timothy’s experience and genre knowledge has benefited his stints with Disney, Respawn, Relic and Activision, among others. As the Principal Quality Designer at Electronic Arts, he is applying his years of development experience to lead and elevate the Quality Design discipline for both EA and the industry overall.

QA Engineer III

Toby Hurtubise

he/him

Riot Games

Ok, let me set the stage for you. Toby is from the internet. The 90s internet, though—that lawless, naive era when a 10-year-old could run a Harry Potter Geocities fansite while asking strangers their a/s/l on AOL. During those formative years, lived under a shocking lack of parental or regulatory supervision, he developed an intrinsic desire to completely disregard how a game designer wanted him to play a video game. Once Toby realized he could get paid for that tendency—well, that was all she wrote.

These days, Toby works on video games and, boy, does he try to use that to impress his 6-year-old daughter. When he’s not failing to garner admiration from a first grader, he focuses on accelerating his work and the work of his colleagues, promoting best practices and collecting templates like some kind of weird digital documentation dragon. He loves QA for its reach across disciplines and its ability to help others do their best work.

He’s grateful to be back speaking at Qualicon, and hopes you’ll join him on his journey to the left.

QA Manager

Tommy Dieterich

he/him

Team Tom

From Zelda to Halo, he’s been along for the ride. And as the industry evolved, so has the Quality profession. This growth has been at the core of Tommy’s path. Be it publishing or embedded, 1P, 2P, or 3P, data has been an ever present force for change. And this drive is what fuels his passion for games and representing the user.