Executive Technology Leader | AI Trust & Governance | Consultant & Advisor | Global Keynote Speaker

Building AI
Organizations
People Can Trust.

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 Engineering and AI strategy

Mary Pombares

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

Experience from Fortune 500 Organizations

  • amazon music logo
  • HBO Latin America logo
  • NBCUniversal logo
  • Carnival Cruise Line logo

About Mary

From Quality Engineering leadership to trusted AI transformation.

Mary Pombares is an executive technology leader with 18+ years in technology and transformation — spanning Quality Engineering, AI strategy and enterprise digital transformation across healthcare, media, financial services and travel.

She partners with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs and boards to make AI adoption responsible and measurable — building governance models, strengthening trust in intelligent systems, and modernizing Quality Engineering at enterprise scale.

Beyond enterprise transformation, Mary advocates for women from underrepresented communities and invests in the next generation of innovators. Through speaking, mentorship, and STEM engagement, she helps women and young people—particularly those from African and minority communities—recognize their place in technology, AI, and leadership.

View Leadership Experience
  • AI governance, risk assessment and responsible adoption
  • Enterprise automation foundations and quality modernization
  • High-performing global teams and leadership development
  • Keynote speaking for global audiences on AI and the future of work

Areas of Expertise

AI Strategy & Governance

Build responsible AI strategies, frameworks, and governance models.

AI Trust & Risk Management

Ensure reliability, safety, and ethics in AI systems at enterprise scale.

Quality Engineering Transformation

Modernize QA, test automation, and engineering processes with AI.

Digital Transformation

Drive innovation, operational excellence, and measurable business impact.

Executive Advisory

Partner with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, and Boards to accelerate outcomes.

Keynote Speaker

Inspiring audiences worldwide on AI, trust, and the future of work.

Speaking & Engagements

View all

Upcoming Engagements

Past Engagements

Signature Topics

Invite Mary to Speak
  • The Future of AI Trust
  • From Prompt Engineering to Context Engineering
  • The New Role of Quality Engineering
  • Responsible AI at Enterprise Scale
  • Building AI Systems People Can Trust

RECOGNITION

Influential Women — Verified

Recognized as an Influential Woman in Tech

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.

ON STAGE, IN THE BOARDROOM & IN THE COMMUNITY

Innovate QA Summit — keynote stage
Innovate QA Summit — keynote stage
Women in Tech leadership panel
Women in Tech leadership panel
Georgia Tech STEM Camp — Inspiring Africa's Next Generation of Innovators
Georgia Tech STEM Camp — Inspiring Africa's Next Generation of Innovators

40+

LinkedIn Recommendations

From former team members, peers, and leaders across Fortune 500 organizations.

Industry Voices

What leaders and teams say about Mary.

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

View 40+ recommendations on LinkedIn

Insights

Ideas on AI trust, quality and leadership.

Perspectives shared on stages, podcasts and with executive teams worldwide.

AI Governance

Trust is engineered, not announced

Why responsible AI needs controls, accountability and measurement designed in from day one.

Quality Engineering

The new role of Quality Engineering

How QA shifts from gatekeeper to enabler of safe, fast AI-driven delivery.

AI Strategy

From prompt engineering to context engineering

The discipline that separates demos from durable enterprise AI systems.

Featured on TestingMind, TestGuild, InnovateQA & How to Test?

  • TestingMind
  • TestGuild
  • InnovateQA
  • How to Test?

Work With Mary

Let's build something people can trust.

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