
Guest on Podcast
A Conversation with Anna J Simtaji
TBA
Executive Technology Leader | AI Trust & Governance | Consultant & Advisor | Global Keynote Speaker
From software development to enterprise Quality Engineering leadership, I have built high-performing global teams, transformed operating models, and established scalable automation and AI foundations. A process engineer at heart, I now help organizations govern, assess, and scale AI responsibly—turning emerging technology into trusted business outcomes.
Open to executive leadership, consulting, advisory, board, and global speaking opportunities.

Mary Pombares
Executive Leader in Quality EngineeringAI Strategy & Governance AdvisorKeynote Speaker for Global Audiences




Mary Pombares is a Quality Engineering Executive and technology transformation leader with 18 years of experience driving quality initiatives at organizations including Amazon Music, HBO, and NBCUniversal. She is an emerging voice at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Quality Engineering, and Trust Engineering, championing a shift from asking whether technology works to whether it is reliable, responsible, and worthy of trust.
A servant leader and coach, Mary is passionate about developing talent and building cultures where quality is a shared responsibility. She holds certifications spanning AI, Agile leadership, and software quality, and regularly speaks on AI, leadership, and testing. Her insights have been featured in Profile magazine's “The Code Breakers: Women in Tech” campaign, and she has been recognized as an Influential Woman in Information Technology.
Born in Angola, West Africa, Mary moved to the United States at age 15 and is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. She brings a global, multicultural perspective shaped by resilience, opportunity, and community to every conversation about the future of technology.
View Leadership ExperienceBuild responsible AI strategies, frameworks, and governance models.
Ensure reliability, safety, and ethics in AI systems at enterprise scale.
Modernize QA, test automation, and engineering processes with AI.
Drive innovation, operational excellence, and measurable business impact.
Partner with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, and Boards to accelerate outcomes.
Inspiring audiences worldwide on AI, trust, and the future of work.
Upcoming Engagements

Guest on Podcast
A Conversation with Anna J Simtaji
TBA

Guest on Podcast with Joe Colantonio
TestGuild Automation Podcast
October 15, 2026

TestingMind
Keynote Speaker
Software Quality Summit
Atlanta — November 5, 2026
Past Engagements

The Agentic Quality Summit 2026
Speaker — Scaling AI Initiatives Across QA
The Agentic Quality Summit 2026
May 1, 2026

Innovate QA Podcast
Guest on Podcast
AI Metrics for Testing with Context QA | Innovate QA Podcast
June 27, 2026

TestGuild IRL
Roundtable Expert
Chicago 2026
July 16–17, 2026

Guest on Podcast
The Role of the Head of QA and AI Risk | How to Test This? Podcast
Recorded September 3, 2026

Corporate Women Summit AI
Speaker — Knightsbridge London
Corporate Women Summit AI
September 24, 2026

Georgia Tech
Guest Speaker
STEM Event
Inspiring Future Innovators
Influential Women — Verified
Honored by Influential Women as an Executive Leader in Quality Engineering and AI-Driven Testing — amplifying the achievements and influence of women who lead, innovate, and inspire.




Podcast
Conversations on AI trust, quality metrics and what it takes to lead engineering teams through change.
Innovate QA Podcast
Mary joins the Innovate QA Podcast to unpack how teams measure AI-assisted testing — the metrics that matter, the risks to watch, and how to turn results into business value.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Test This Podcast
Mary joins host Mamadou N'diaye on the How to Test This Podcast as Executive Advisor, sharing how quality engineering transformation leadership shapes AI-assisted testing strategies and aligns executive teams around quality.
Watch on YouTube40+
LinkedIn Recommendations
From former team members, peers, and leaders across Fortune 500 organizations.
Selected recommendations from leaders, peers and team members at Amazon, HBO, NBCUniversal and Universal Parks & Resorts.
Forward-thinking, transparent, and articulate. As Director of Quality Engineering, Mary was instrumental in modernizing our approach to QA, specifically driving 'Shift Left' in order to reduce costs for the business while simultaneously improving the customer experience. She holds a high bar for quality and accountability, but she achieves it through mentorship, coaching, and transparency rather than micromanagement.
Eric Ruttenbur
Software Engineering Executive — Amazon, NBCUniversal, eBay
LinkedIn recommendation · Former colleague
Mary's passion and experience helped HBO as a company focus on what is needed specifically for HBO's many departments and initiatives. She was able to steer the project in a way that would benefit HBO, keeping in mind the strategy for the operational processes once the initial implementation had concluded. She is a very good leader and a true inspiration.
Tam Anderson, PMP
Program Manager, HBO
LinkedIn recommendation · Former colleague
Her strategic vision and ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization were instrumental in the successful adoption of agile practices within the QA department. Mary fostered a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, which resulted in a highly motivated and engaged team that consistently delivered exceptional results.
Leilani Batty, PMP
Digital Strategy & Technology Leader, Universal Parks & Resorts
LinkedIn recommendation · Former colleague
She helped my team cut our testing time by more than 60% by automating the majority of the test cases. She also created the scrum improvement strategy to help boost the team's productivity and deliver a quality product. She is a huge asset to any team.
Rafi Ahmed
Engineering Lead, Digital Payments & Emerging Markets
LinkedIn recommendation · Former colleague
She was able to quickly ramp up the QE organization by nearly ten-fold in a few months by including and trusting her team to accomplish this great goal. She maintains a high standard for QA and delivery by constantly balancing getting things done and doing things well.
Jorge Rivas
Software Development Engineer in Test
LinkedIn recommendation · Former direct report
Mary's passion for process improvement is only surpassed by her concern for the well-being of her direct reports. Engaging and articulate, Mary looks for key challenges and goes after solving those hard problems while others look for low-hanging fruit. Mary is a powerhouse of energy.
Joseph Lupo
Senior Director of Identity Access Management
LinkedIn recommendation · Former colleague
Quantified outcomes from enterprise transformations across healthcare, media, finance and travel.
90%+ automation adoption
Led enterprise QE modernization across complex engineering environments, scaling automation adoption to 90%+ while introducing modern automation, API testing, quality standards and AI-assisted engineering practices.
84% → 98%
Transformed quality governance and release-readiness practices, improving reported test pass rates from 84% to 98% through stronger automation, quality gates, metrics and engineering accountability.
40–60% faster
Modernized testing and delivery practices to reduce release-cycle time by approximately 40–60%, enabling teams to deliver faster without sacrificing quality, reliability or risk controls.
$17M+ documented savings
Delivered significant business value through technology and vendor transformation, including approximately $15M in vendor-cost reduction and $2M in savings on a major media initiative.
Share a few details about your keynote, executive advisory need, or transformation program. Every message reaches Mary's team directly.
info@marypombares.com
Atlanta, GA — available worldwide