Grove Consultants specialise exclusively in Software Testing. We have a great depth of knowledge in this area and provide consultancy, training and inspiration in all aspects of Software Testing. We can help make your testing practices more productive.

Formed in 1989 by Dorothy Graham, Grove Consultants now has four other consultants: Mark Fewster, Lloyd Roden, Clive Bates and Julie Gardiner all of whom have extensive experience in Software Testing. The business is also supported by Jacqui Bates who administers invoices and our accounts and Christine Roden providing general administration services and public course bookings.

Our international client base covers a large range of the industry. From telecommunications to building societies and scientific instrument makers to department stores. In locations from the USA to China and from Finland to Australia.

Consultancy assignments have included: audits of testing practices, reviews of testing methodologies and assessment of testing effectiveness. Advice can be given on all aspects of Software Testing and Software Inspection.

Our training courses increase your effectiveness and help to prepare for the ISEB Foundation and Practitioner Certificate examinations. Our training courses cover a wide range of topics from managing the testing process to the use of specific techniques to ensure the maximum effectiveness is achieved from the testing process.

We share our experience and knowledge through International testing conferences both to present and learn from other leaders in our area. We help to develop national and international syllabuses and licence our materials to other training providers world wide.

Dorothy has worked in the area of Software Testing for over 30 years, first for Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey and then with Ferranti Computer Systems in Manchester. Before founding Grove Consultants she worked for the National Computing Centre developing and presenting software engineering training courses.

Dorothy is co-author of two books. The first Software Inspection with Tom Gilb and the second Software Test Automation with Mark Fewster. She originated and co-authored four editions of The CAST Report, detailing Computer-Aided Software Testing tools available in Europe. This was published by Unicom Seminars and Cambridge Market Intelligence. She has published several papers as well as making presentations and keynote speeches at numerous international conferences.

Dorothy was Programme Chair for the first European conference on software testing, EuroSTAR. She has been active in the British Computer Society's Specialist Interest Group in Software Testing (BCS SIGIST) since 1989, and participated in the development of the Software Component Testing Standard. She is a founder and continuing member of the ISEB Software Testing Board, developing new qualifications for software testers.

At the EuroSTAR conference in Barcelona in 1999 she was awarded the IBM European Excellence Award in Software Testing.

Mark has over 20 years of industrial experience in software testing specialising in the area of Software Testing Tools and Test Automation. This includes the development of a test execution tool and its introduction into general use within the organisation.

Since joining Grove Consultants, Mark has specialised in software testing techniques and all areas of test automation. As a consultant, Mark has helped many organisations to improve their testing both by the better use of techniques and by the successful introduction and better use of a software testing tool.

Mark has given keynote talks and presented papers at international conferences and seminars. He has also published papers in respected journals and has served as Chairman for the BCS working group developing the draft standard for software component testing. He is co-author of the book Software Test Automation with Dorothy.

Lloyd has been involved in the software industry since 1980, studying computer science at Leicester University. He joined Pearl Assurance as a programmer in 1983 and worked there for five years before becoming a Senior Independent Test Analyst for Royal Life. Three years later he joined Peterborough Software where he became Test Manager for the Product Assurance department. He also set up and managed the Independent Test Unit for nearly 3 years. During his 8 years at Peterborough Software he worked through key issues in test management such as; testing to pre-defined deadlines, managing a test team, successfully implementing and using test automation tools and building quality into the testing process. He joined Grove Consultants in April 1999.

Lloyd was chairman of the QARun User Group for three years, and is a lively and enthusiastic speaker at conferences and seminars. He has been a keynote speaker at EuroSTAR, AsiaSTAR, STAREast and STARWest and he has also spoken at SQE Automation, Test Congress and Unicom conferences as well as Special Interest Groups in Software Testing in a variety of different countries. Lloyd, together with the other members of Grove Consultants, jointly chaired the first SQE Test Automation Conference in 2001.

Lloyd has been Programme Chair for both the tenth and eleventh EuroSTAR conferences. He won the EuroSTAR Software Testing Excellence Award in 2004 in Cologne.

At Grove Consultants, he provides consultancy and training in all aspects of testing, specialising in test management, people issues in testing, building successful and effective test teams and test automation.

Clive joined Grove Consultants in 2002 having previously held various test management positions. His experience covers a variety of areas such as banking, insurance, retail and internet applications. This has given him practical experience in managing the testing process from multiple dependant projects to time critical systems as well as both functional and non functional testing.

Clive has undertaken a number of consultancy assignments at client sites assessing existing test practises. This has included reporting on appropriate improvements and providing ongoing support during the implementation of recommended changes and facilitating at post testing reviews.

Clive has presented papers at leading testing conferences. These have included the Test Automation conference, StarWest, StarEast in the USA and EuroStar, the major European conference. He has also participated in smaller specialist testing conferences in the UK, Sweden and Holland.  Clive has contributed articles to various magazines and journals including Better Software. Clive’s experience allows him to use practical examples to explain specific points during his training courses. He was described by one of his students as an “enter-trainer” bringing the subject of testing to life.

Clive is one of the founder members of the board that developed the original ISEB/ISTQB Foundation certificate and ISEB Practitioner certificate. He is still fully involved as chair of the accreditation panel and marker for the Practitioner Examinations. In 2006 Clive was on the program committee for the EuroStar conference held in Manchester.

In his spare time Clive enjoys being involved with teaching water skiing with the British Disabled Water-ski Association, walking and being with his family.

Julie started work in the IT industry in 1991. She worked as an analyst programmer, an Oracle data base administrator and as a Project Manager. This work gave Julie first hand experience of the roles of test analyst, test team leader, test consultant and test manager.  Her experience has been gained across a broad range of industries including financial, utilities, retail, insurance, construction and the public sector. She has used various software development approaches from the traditional to agile methodologies.

Julie provides consultancy and training in all aspects of testing with an emphasis on risk-based testing, test management and people issues. She helps to further the cause of Software Testing by working with the ISEB examination panel and as a committee member for the British Computer Society’s Specialist Group in Software Testing.

She is an enthusiastic and motivated presenter at software testing conferences. These have included EuroSTAR, STAREast, ICSTest and the BCS SiGIST. In 2005 she was given the Best presentation award at STAREast and has been a keynote speaker at STARWest. She received the award for the best tutorial at EuroSTAR 2006.