Cultivating Excellence in Quality Engineering

Brett Scyrkels, SVP, Director, Software Quality Engineering, BOK Financial

Brett Scyrkels, SVP, Director, Software Quality Engineering, BOK Financial

As SVP and Director of Software Quality Engineering at BOK Financial, Brett Scyrkels leads enterprise-wide quality engineering initiatives, overseeing manual and automated testing, performance engineering, and quality governance. He focuses on embedding quality early in the software development lifecycle, aligning efforts with the bank’s digital transformation goals to drive innovation, efficiency and ensure compliance, risk management and customer satisfaction.

Shifting from Traditional QA to Quality Engineering

The transformation from traditional QA to a modern Quality Engineering (QE) organization required both cultural and structural change. We moved away from siloed testing functions and redefined quality as a shared responsibility across the development lifecycle. This shift involved embedding QE professionals within software project/program teams, fostering cross-functional collaboration with development, product, and operations teams. We emphasized early defect prevention, continuous testing, real-time feedback loops, and data-driven decision-making. By aligning quality metrics with business outcomes—such as faster time-to-market, reduced production defects, and improved customer experience—we’ve positioned QE not as a gatekeeper, but as a strategic enabler of delivery speed, risk reduction, and customer satisfaction.

Automation is a cornerstone of our quality engineering strategy. We've built and integrated robust test automation frameworks into our development pipelines, enabling rapid feedback, continuous validation and faster, more reliable software releases. In addition to traditional automation, we’re leveraging emerging technologies such as AI and ML to enhance test script generation, perform intelligent gap analysis, and defect triaging to identify risk areas, optimize test coverage and proactively address quality issues. These advancements have significantly enhanced our scalability and accuracy, reduced manual effort, and allowed our teams to focus on higher-value testing activities—delivering greater efficiency without requiring proportional increases in resources.

Ensuring Measurable Impact and Advancing Quality Engineering

To deliver measurable impact, our Quality Management System (QMS) is built on a foundation of adaptability, transparency, and performance-driven metrics. We align quality objectives with enterprise risk management and customer satisfaction goals, ensuring that quality is not just a technical function but a strategic priority. By tracking KPIs such as defect leakage, test coverage, and customer feedback, we gain actionable insights that guide continuous improvement. Our QMS is integrated with compliance and security frameworks and supported by regular audits and feedback loops. This approach ensures that quality is embedded across the organization and consistently contributes to business value.

Quality Engineering is a dynamic and evolving field at the intersection of technology, business, and customer experience. To thrive in this space, cultivate a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning. Build a strong foundation in software development, automation, cloud platforms, and data analysis, while also developing soft skills like communication and collaboration— essential for bridging technical and business teams. Understand the broader business context of your work and always advocate for the end user. Seek mentorship, embrace challenges, and stay focused on the “why” behind quality—because delivering meaningful, reliable experiences is what truly sets great quality engineers apart.

As digital transformation accelerates, Quality Engineering is evolving into a strategic driver of business success. At BOK Financial, we no longer view quality as a checkpoint—it’s a continuous journey rooted in innovation, agility, and customer value. Quality Engineering today is about more than just finding bugs; it’s about enabling trust, speed, and resilience across the enterprise.

We see the future of QE in predictive analytics, AI-assisted testing, and deeper integration with business intelligence. Organizations that embed quality into their culture, processes, and technology will be best positioned to lead. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about the opportunities ahead to elevate quality as a true competitive differentiator.