Govardhan Surendran
Phoenix,AZ
Summary
Accomplished Quality Assurance leader with 18 years of IT experience specializing in test strategy, automation governance, and enterprise delivery. Expert in bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern technologies, with deep expertise in optimizing both Selenium (8 years) and UFT (5 years). Proven track record of managing cross-functional global teams, migrating complex legacy suites to open-source frameworks, and directly interfacing with US client stakeholders. Adept at leveraging modern QA practices, including Generative AI and prompt engineering, to accelerate test design, reduce regression cycles, and ensure zero-defect releases for Tier-1 Banking clients.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Automation Lead / Project Manager
Tata Consultancy Services, Client - First Citizens Bank
Phoenix, USA
09.2019 - Current
- Served as the primary onshore Automation Lead, directly managing client relationships and steering automation efforts for critical Marketing initiatives.
- Managed end-to-end automation delivery, optimizing test coverage across the portfolio including Online Banking, Marketo, CMP, Splash & CMS, which significantly enhanced operational efficiency.
- Managed the technical screening and onboarding pipeline for Selenium automation specialists to ensure uninterrupted business operations and meet high-level staffing needs.
- Directed a cross-functional quality engineering organization of over 30 members across six years, enhancing performance through continuous monitoring and feedback.
- Spearheaded modernization initiatives by designing targeted upskilling programs, successfully transitioning legacy functional testers into proficient QA Automation Engineers via in-depth Selenium training.
Test Lead - Assistant Consultant
Tata Consultancy Services, Client - Silicon Valley Bank
Chennai, India
07.2016 - 09.2019
- Played a pivotal role in the design, implementation, and scaling of the Selenium-based Fusion automation framework for Silicon Valley Bank.
- Upskilled functional teams, enabling their transition to automation testing roles through comprehensive Selenium training
- Implemented critical structural upgrades to the existing Hybrid UFT Framework, significantly expanding its execution capabilities.
- Conducted technical assessments to evaluate and recommend viable open-source automation technologies tailored to enterprise project requirements.
- Developed comprehensive test automation strategies and estimations across a diverse portfolio of projects , directly liaising with clients to report milestones and ensure project success.
- Trained and mentored new hires in UFT and VBScript, ensuring their successful onboarding as proficient automation testers.
Automation Analyst
Infosys Technologies, Client - Royal Bank of Scotland
Chennai, India
10.2014 - 06.2016
- Drove testing efficiency for Royal Bank of Scotland by automating complex workflows across Mainframe, Windows, and Web applications utilizing QTP.
- Engineered custom User Defined Functions (UDFs) to optimize existing automation frameworks and script reliability.
- Delivered expert-level training to client teams on QTP, VBScript, and the proprietary RBS-Staff framework.
- Presented multiple Proofs of Concept (POCs) to executive stakeholders and shared Debit Card Automation best practices during global account roadshows.
Software Engineer
HCL Technologies, Client - SimCorp, WMS
Chennai, India
10.2008 - 09.2014
- Led the transition from manual execution to automation testing for the SimCorp WMS client via self-taught UFT/QTP methodologies
- Executed full testing lifecycles, governing smoke, sanity, end-to-end (E2E), regression, and UAT phases while strictly adhering to QA processes
- Played a major role in preparing and customizing the testing framework , successfully automating critical workflows and identifying suitable test cases for POCs
Education
Master of Computer Applications -
Sathyabama University
Chennai, India06-2008
Bachelor of Commerce - undefined
Vivekananda College, University of Madras
Chennai, India05-2005
Skills
- Test Automation
- Selenium - WebDriver
- TestNG
- Page Object Model
- Java
- UFT
- VB Scripting
Accomplishments
- Client Enablement Award (07/2023): Recognized for exceptional candidate evaluation and training of nearshore (Mexico) TCS associates.
- Special Initiative Award (07/2021): Awarded by account leadership for training onshore team members in Selenium automation.
- GFT Project Coordination Award (07/2020): On-the-Spot Award for strong communication leading to the successful completion of the GFT project.
- Additional Honors: Learning Achievement Award (12/2018) , Best Performer Award (11/2018) , Technical Excellence Award (06/2016) , and Client Training Commendation (11/2015).
LANGUAGES
English - Full Professional Proficiency
Tamil - Full Professional Proficiency
Interests
Driving, Fitness/Weight Lifting, Gaming (PS5), Tennis, Cricket
Timeline
Automation Lead / Project Manager
Tata Consultancy Services, Client - First Citizens Bank
09.2019 - Current
Test Lead - Assistant Consultant
Tata Consultancy Services, Client - Silicon Valley Bank
07.2016 - 09.2019
Automation Analyst
Infosys Technologies, Client - Royal Bank of Scotland
10.2014 - 06.2016
Software Engineer
HCL Technologies, Client - SimCorp, WMS
10.2008 - 09.2014
Bachelor of Commerce - undefined
Vivekananda College, University of Madras
Master of Computer Applications -
Sathyabama University
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Domain
- Banking(Retail, Commercial), Telecom & Gaming
- Programming Language
- Java, Python(Basic)
- Tools
- Eclipse, Intellij, Sql Developer
- Automation Tools
- Selenium Web Driver & UFT/ QTP
- Frameworks
- TestNG, Page Object Model, Hybrid Framework and Data Driven Frameworks
- Application Automated
- Web, Window and Mainframe applications
ACCOLADES
- Client Enablement Award (07/2023) - Awarded for exceptional contribution to account success: Selenium candidate evaluation and training of nearshore(Mexico) TCS associates, leading to client approval.
- Special Initiative award (07/2021) - Received from account leadership for training Onshore team members in selenium Automation
- GFT Project Coordination Award (07/2020) - Recognized with an On-the-Spot Award for demonstrating strong coordination and communication skills, leading to the successful completion of the GFT project.
- Learning achievement award (12/2018) - Received the award for meeting the FRESCO play score set for the account level,
- Best Performer award (11/2018) - Received the award for multiple application automation during SVB Quarterly Town hall meeting.
- Technical Excellence award (06/2016) - Received the award for showcasing debit cards automation POC in the Account level road show.
- Client Training Commendation (11/2015) - Client-awarded recognition for expert delivery of QTP training to their team