Gina Webster

As a Software Release Manager, I lead end-to-end release planning and execution to ensure high-quality, low-risk deployments across enterprise platforms. My role bridges development, QA, and operations to deliver seamless software releases that support business goals.

Release Strategy & Risk Management

• Drive release planning, scope definition, and risk mitigation to ensure timely and successful deployments.
• Facilitate CAB meetings to align stakeholders and resolve roadblocks.

Automation & DevOps Leadership

• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps and Digital.ai.
• Implement automation tools and scripts to streamline build, integration, and deployment processes.

Governance & Compliance

• Administer Azure DevOps and enforce build/release policies and dependency management standards.
• Ensure adherence to organizational and regulatory requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with QA to define test cases and validate production readiness.
• Coordinate development team implementations and lead production release calls.

Documentation & Communication

• Create and distribute detailed release notes for internal and external stakeholders.
• Review test results and conduct risk analysis prior to release sign-off.

Led full-cycle release management for Apple’s Point-of-Sale (POS) systems across desktop, web, and mobile platforms, ensuring seamless deployments and cross-functional alignment.

End-to-End Release Ownership

• Managed all POS software releases, from planning through production deployment, across multiple product lines.
• Partnered with QA to ensure high-quality, risk-mitigated releases.

Source Control & Repository Management

• Administered GitHub repositories, overseeing artifact versioning, branching, and merging strategies for multi-platform applications.
• Maintained clean, traceable build histories and ensured consistency across environments.

Build & Deployment Execution

• Executed software builds using Jenkins and UNIX environments; released builds upon successful validation.
• Created and distributed detailed release notes; tracked all changes within build and release cycles.

Cross-Team Technical Support

• Provided technical support to development, QA, production operations, and other teams for build and release-related issues.
• Acted as a liaison between technical teams and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and alignment.

Tooling & Infrastructure Expertise

• Worked across a modern DevOps stack including GitHub, Jenkins, Artifactory, Docker, and UNIX.
• Supported mobile app releases for iOS and Android platforms.

Led enterprise eCommerce software initiatives with a dual focus on release management and agile program delivery. Drove CI/CD adoption, coached agile teams, and ensured seamless execution across the full software development lifecycle.

Release Management & CI/CD Implementation

• Managed all eCommerce software releases across web and mobile platforms (iOS & Android).
• Implemented CI/CD pipelines to automate build, test, and deployment processes using Jenkins, Azure, and UNIX-based environments.
• Created and enforced best practices for release governance and delivery cadence.

Agile Program Leadership

• Trained, mentored, and coached agile teams on release management and SCRUM methodologies.
• Acted as Scrum of Scrums facilitator, ensuring alignment across enterprise software initiatives.
• Managed high-profile projects from initiation through sunset, including requirements gathering, development coordination, QA alignment, and post-release support.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Maintained daily communication with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to track progress, resolve blockers, and ensure transparency throughout execution.
• Delivered consistent updates and reporting across all phases of the SDLC.

Technical Stack & Tools Expertise

• Worked across a diverse tech stack including Java, JUnit, TestNG, Git, SVN, Jira, Selenium, Cucumber, Perl, Splunk, Azure, Jenkins, and Microsoft technologies.
• Supported both web and mobile app development and release cycles.

Led enterprise-wide software quality, business analysis, and release engineering initiatives in an Agile/SCRUM environment, driving process excellence and technical innovation across the full development lifecycle.

Quality Assurance & Business Analysis Leadership

• Owned company-wide software quality strategy, establishing scalable QA practices and standards.
• Managed QA and BA teams, overseeing requirements gathering, test planning, and execution across unit, functional, performance, end-to-end, UAT, and risk-based testing.
• Ensured audit compliance and traceability through rigorous documentation and process controls.

Agile Coaching & Team Enablement

• Trained teams on Agile/SCRUM methodologies and embedded quality practices within sprint cycles.
• Actively participated in SCRUM teams to guide best practices and ensure delivery excellence.

Release Engineering & DevOps Implementation

• Defined and implemented CI/CD pipelines from development to production using Azure DevOps and Microsoft VSTS.
• Automated testing within build pipelines and enforced DevOps best practices across teams.
• Led release management processes to ensure smooth, outage-free deployments.

Process Governance & Compliance

• Developed and enforced software process standards across QA, BA, and release functions.
• Delivered executive-level reporting and metrics to track quality, velocity, and release performance.

Technical Stack & Tools Expertise

• Worked across technologies including .NET, Angular, Git, Azure DevOps, Selenium, SpecFlow, Telerik, SoapUI, Jenkins, and Docker.
• Trained staff on CI/CD models, tools, and standards to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Led enterprise-wide software quality, release engineering, and DevOps transformation initiatives, driving operational excellence, automation, and compliance across the organization.

SDLC & DevOps Strategy

• Defined and implemented SDLC best practices to improve delivery velocity and software reliability.
• Established DevOps standards for security, monitoring, and uptime metrics across cloud-based infrastructure.
• Implemented CI/CD pipelines to automate build, test, and deployment processes from development to production.

Team Leadership & Enablement

• Directed and mentored DevOps engineers and QA professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
• Trained teams on DevOps principles, CI/CD models, and agile methodologies to align technical execution with business goals.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Owned company-wide software quality standards, overseeing test strategy, automation, and audit compliance.
• Ensured rigorous QA practices across all phases of the software lifecycle, from requirements analysis to release and maintenance.

Agile Coaching & Cross-Team Collaboration

• Worked closely with SCRUM teams to guide agile practices and ensure consistent delivery across sprints.
• Monitored team performance and provided coaching on Agile/SCRUM best practices.

Budget & Operational Oversight

• Managed QA and DevOps budgets, aligning resource allocation with strategic priorities and operational needs.

Technical Stack & Tools Expertise

• Led initiatives using technologies including Microsoft VSTS, Azure DevOps (ADO), Service Fabric, Selenium, SpecFlow, PagerDuty, and cloud-native tools.
• Delivered scalable solutions across web and cloud platforms with a focus on performance, reliability, and compliance.

Played a key hands-on role in shaping software quality and project delivery practices within a fast-paced startup environment. Led initiatives to establish agile workflows, implement automation, and drive continuous improvement across the development lifecycle.

Process Design & Agile Enablement

• Defined and implemented project management workflows and software quality practices in an Agile/SCRUM environment.
• Trained and coached teams on Agile principles to ensure consistent delivery and lifecycle quality.

Quality Strategy & UAT Leadership

• Mentored QA team members and led end-to-end testing efforts, including requirements analysis, test planning, execution, and UAT coordination.
• Collaborated with stakeholders to gather feedback and integrate changes to improve product quality and user experience.

Automation & CI/CD Integration

• Established automation standards across build, release, and testing processes.
• Integrated CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins to streamline development and deployment workflows.

Metrics & Executive Reporting

• Delivered actionable quality metrics and release performance reports to executive leadership, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Technical Stack & Tools Expertise

• Worked across technologies including Java, Selenium, Cucumber, JUnit, Jira, Git, and Jenkins to support scalable and reliable software delivery.

Led the enterprise-wide “Test Center of Excellence,” driving software quality strategy, global team leadership, and transformation from legacy systems to modern Agile and DevOps practices.

Strategic Quality Leadership

• Directed and supervised the QA organization across all phases of the software development lifecycle.
• Defined, implemented, and enforced company-wide software quality standards and testing methodologies.

Global Team Management

• Oversaw a hybrid team of ~125 QA professionals, including 25 onsite and 100+ globally distributed resources.
• Coordinated integration and end-to-end testing efforts across domestic and international teams.

Enterprise Transformation & Agile Adoption

• Played a key role in re-architecting the ticketing engine, transitioning from legacy systems to modern platforms.
• Led the shift from Waterfall to Agile and DevOps, embedding quality practices throughout the SDLC.

Training, Compliance & Governance

• Trained staff on quality standards, Agile/SCRUM methodologies, and audit compliance requirements.
• Maintained QA budget and ensured alignment with organizational goals and regulatory standards.

Technical Stack & Tools Expertise

• Supported testing across web, desktop, and mobile apps (iOS & Android).
• Worked with technologies including C++, Java, JUnit, TestNG, Jira, Git, SVN, UNIX, Selenium, Cucumber, Perl, Splunk, and Microsoft tools.