James Thomas

“As a manager, James always looked to create opportunities for each team member to develop the next skills needed or desired, whether they were for the current role or a different role. His software testing and technical expertise always brought new ideas to the team and supported critical thinking. All these aspects have helped build a great, skilled and engaged team. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from James and for all the support he has given me as my line manager.”

“Working with James over the last year has been a real pleasure. He has been a great mentor, helping me to understand the myriad areas of the business that he co-founded. He is friendly and welcoming, and has been an excellent sounding board. I have called on him repeatedly to give critical feedback, and he has played the role of sympathetic sceptic with great skill. I highly respect James as a manager - his team are high performing and democratic. His points of view command attention in the highest contexts. Towards the end of our time working together I had the privilege of watching James in action as a software tester on one of my products. What James doesn't know about testing isn't worth knowing. He has a precise mind and a keen intellect, paired with an ability to find the questions that nobody is asking. James would be an asset to any organisation.”

“Having worked for 8 years at Linguamatics with James as my manager, I can say he is, firstly, an exceptional Tester and Test Manager and I would jump at the chance to work with or for him again. As a tester he is able to produce valuable information and insights, communicated clearly and concisely, on any software or system, in any given timeframe, via suitably prioritised and thorough analysis. As a manager he is immediately responsive to any identified need and always able to provide useful ideas and input into any situation. He is also skilled in getting the best out of people - I have become a much better Tester under James' mentorship. He leads by example, building strong relationships between people and teams through mutual trust and respect. Into every aspect of every role he brings a commitment, dedication and energy to get the best possible outcome. He always looks for improvements and optimisations to the way he or the team is working to achieve an end goal. He pushes himself and people who work for him out of comfort zones as he recognises this is often where we achieve most personal growth. James often brings an element of fun and humour to the office but it's always clear that he cares deeply and passionately about his work, the best interests of the people who work for him and the company.”

“I worked with James for just over two years. His introductions when I first joined Linguamatics were excellent. Given a new area of work, his hunt for relevant incongruities and a desire to explore the architecture's strengths and weaknesses mean that his testing strategies are thorough and take into account all the damage a customer can inflict. ”

“I'm both proud and lucky to have been in James' team for over a decade. Not only is he an exceptional tester who always looks to improve what he does, he looks to and succeeds in adding value, is dedicated, knowledgeable and also a great speaker and mentor. James would be a tremendous asset to any organisation or individual, working for or alongside. He should be the first name on any tester team sheet.”

“Apologies to all the others, but James Thomas is the best test manager and best test engineer I've met. ”

“I have worked with James for 15 years. Throughout that time, as the company grew and our roles and responsibilities changed, I have never seen James caught out by events: his methodological approaches, attention to detail and propensity to plan are second-to-none. James strikes a fine balance between utmost professionalism and levity when appropriate: this is an example of where James can read the room and understand the correct course of action. Last but not least: James is *helpful* - he will go out of his way to assist colleagues, team members and customers. Often his support goes deep: digging into problems and making sure that not only is the initial request satisfied, but any root issues resolved. ”

“Working with James has been an absolute pleasure. He is friendly, and I remember him being very welcoming and making time for me when I first joined Linguamatics. Having tackled tasks together, I can say he combines great skill and focus on solving the problem at hand with a creativity and desire to find new approaches or tools to reach that solution more efficiently. He is always looking to improve both himself and his team, and as my line manager has both challenged me and helped me to achieve my goals. ”

“I first got to know James as a testing community leader. I admired his wit and thoughtfulness from afar. Sophistication and kindness together are a powerful and inspiring combination. Then, I came to visit him and his team and got see how they interacted with him and he with them. There was an easy and high-bandwidth rapport that showed healthy relationships and mutual respect. Spending time with James in this setting revealed his care for them and their needs, and even greater depths in his thinking about testing. I was very pleased when James chose to run for the AST Board of Directors, and even happier when he won. He’s been a huge contributor and distinguished himself as someone who applies thorough analysis, profound reasoning, and then communicates it clearly and persuasively - but not too persuasively. He collaborates effortlessly, and shows his caring for the well-being of his fellow board members in many ways large and small. I have really enjoyed working with James on the Board, and if I ever had a chance to work with him or for him every day, I’d jump at the chance. ”

“James has been my manager while working at Linguamatics. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to testing and coding, and puts a lot of energy and attention to detail into his work and into providing support and guidance to his colleagues. Over then years he has built up a very good team of Testers and technical authors. I would highly recommend him for any position.”

“Average managers play checkers, while great managers play chess. James cares about each and every member of his team. He understands that each member is different, knows and values their unique abilities and perhaps even their eccentricities and tries to best integrate them in a co-ordinated plan just as one would do in chess. He challenges his reports to excel in his/her own way by capitalizing on their uniqueness. James is humble, trustworthy, a fantastic coach and mentor and most importantly a manager who provides a safe environment for his team members to discuss, experiment and be at their creative best. If you are looking to work for a team with a great boss, you won't be disappointed with James.”

“James delivers. He is intelligent, hard-working and really competent. He continually grows his knowledge and skills, as well as supporting personal and professional development in his team members. I've seen James push himself beyond his comfort zone, for example to tackle tricky management and personnel issues very successfully. He has many serious qualities including sincerity, integrity and respectfulness whilst also being great fun to work with, very supportive and a champion line manager.”

“James's attention to detail is exemplary, which you would expect of someone from a dev and test background, however he combines this with a creative flair that I rarely see. He's a great communicator and is not afraid of highlighting thorny issues which other may avoid. His technical knowledge of the product is fantastic and I've always found him helpful and supportive of commercial issues. ”

“I currently work with James at Linguamatics. I am a manager in the Marketing department and rely a lot on James and his team for supporting Marketing and testing our marketing materials, processes and systems. I strongly recommend him to anyone as both a tester and as a manager. As a tester, James goes above and beyond in the thoroughness of his feedback and his willingness to take on tricky or complex projects. For example, I recently developed a new system for our events registration; James not only gave me great feedback on the issues that came up but really put himself in the shoes of the end-user and encouraged me to re-evaluate the specific objectives going into the system. As a manager, James has developed and maintained a team culture of open-mindedness and thoroughness - this culture shines through the high standards of work all of his team members demonstrate from my perspective as an 'internal customer' of theirs.”

“I worked in James's test team at Linguamatics. James is a skilled mentor and team leader: always open and approachable, happy to debate and to be challenged, forthright when necessary, and naturally coaxing the best performances from the members of his team. James is someone with whom I was always comfortable sharing difficulties or concerns. We would debate often about the best way to do things. I learned a lot through those discussions, and felt that my contribution was valued also. James was a leader who would help illuminate the path to a solution, but without simply dictating it. A team under James's leadership is one that strives for self-improvement, where every idea is respected, everyone feels that they can both challenge and contribute, and nobody is complacent. This is the culture that he helps to create through his own openness and integrity. I am very happy to recommend James. The time that I spent in his team is a time that I shall always value as a high point of my career. ”

“Working in James' team has been a great opportunity to learn a lot about text mining and improve my testing skills. He created an excellent environment for sharing our expertise within and outside of the team and we were given a great autonomy in organizing our time. It has been a very encouraging place to be.”