Ten years ago, Elena Vershinina stepped into a small attic office in Vladimir for a job interview. At the time, Altenar was just beginning its journey: a handful of people, minimal processes, and a bold vision for growth. Elena joined as a Lead QA Specialist in a team of just three.

Today, she leads Altenar’s Quality Assurance Department, overseeing a team of 35 professionals and six independent QA units. Her story mirrors Altenar’s evolution — rapid growth, constant adaptation, and a relentless focus on results.

From Factory IT to Quality Leadership

Elena began her career in 2004 in the IT department of a local factory. Although her official role was “computer operator,” she gained hands-on experience across analytics, development, and software testing. By proactively helping engineers with limited technical expertise, she accelerated her own learning, especially in databases and system logic.

That curiosity paid off. After being encouraged to pursue a career in IT, Elena joined a company as a junior QA specialist. Within six months, she was promoted to senior tester. In 2015, she brought that momentum to Altenar.

Building QA Processes from Scratch

When Elena joined Altenar, quality assurance lacked structure: no documentation, no testing workflows, and recurring issues during releases. Her first mission was clear — design and implement a full QA process that could support a growing product.

“What works for three people doesn’t work for thirty,” she explains. As Altenar scaled, so did the QA department, requiring continuous process optimization, stronger soft skills, and smarter team management.

A Democratic Management Style That Scales

Elena describes her leadership approach as democratic. At Altenar, decision-making is distributed rather than centralized, helping teams stay agile and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.

“Authoritarian management slows everything down,” she says. “When every decision depends on one person, you lose efficiency. Empowered teams move faster and deliver better results.”

This philosophy extends to performance measurement as well. Altenar doesn’t track hours worked — only outcomes achieved. The focus is on responsibility, ownership, and impact.

What Makes a Great QA Professional?

For Elena, technical skills matter, but mindset matters more. The ideal QA specialist is open, curious, reliable, and communicative. Since QA is the final checkpoint before a product reaches the client, accountability is critical.

One trait stands out above the rest:

“Without decisiveness, it’s hard to hold your ground with developers.”

In fast-paced product environments, QA leaders must confidently defend quality standards while collaborating closely with development teams.

The Human Side of Leadership

No two workdays are the same. Some unfold smoothly, with seamless releases and productive meetings. Others demand quick reactions to incidents and missed issues.

The hardest moments, Elena admits, are saying goodbye to team members. Whether due to career changes, health reasons, or role transitions into development, every departure feels personal.

Still, she sees growth — even outside QA — as a success. “When testers move into development, that means we did something right.”

Lessons Learned and Looking Forward

Elena believes the biggest mistake leaders make is being afraid to make mistakes — or hiring people who might outshine them.

Strong teams, she says, are built on diversity of skills, personalities, and perspectives. Hiring people who can do what you can’t is how organizations evolve.

Her proudest achievement isn’t a single project, but the teams themselves: motivated, efficient, and built on trust.