Honoring #IconsOfQuality: Pricilla Bilavendran

To celebrate the relentless passion and invaluable contributions of leaders in software quality, BrowserStack is proud to honour some of the icons in the testing space. These are the visionaries who not only push the industry forward with their expertise but also enrich the entire testing community by generously sharing their knowledge and thought leadership.

Pricilla Bilavendran is a passionate Quality Engineering and API Testing Enthusiast who brings 15 years of deep QA expertise to her role as a Team Leader at Billennium. Recognized globally as a Postman Supernova and an AWS Community Builder, Pricilla is a true "servant leader" dedicated to elevating those around her. Her impact stretches far beyond her day-to-day work—she is a Global Ambassador for the WomenTech Network, a sought-after mentor, and an international speaker frequently featured at events like Agile Testing Days and SOFTEC Asia. Whether she is exploring AI-assisted quality engineering, teaching the next generation of testers, or sharing her insights on her technical blog, Pricilla embodies the spirit of an Icon of Quality through her continuous learning and profound commitment to community empowerment.

We spoke with Pricilla about the shift toward AI-assisted quality engineering, the importance of curiosity, and why testers need to learn to say "No."

It’s about understanding people, systems, and how technology behaves in the real world. I love solving problems that don’t have obvious answers, learning new technologies, and helping teams think differently about quality.

I am really excited about the shift from traditional test automation towards AI-assisted quality engineering. It’s not just about generating test scripts faster; it’s about using AI to explore, reason, generate ideas, analyse behaviour, and help us test things we may not have thought of ourselves. I am currently exploring what happens when we combine AI with human curiosity and critical thinking. If you ask about a tool or framework, I would say "Playwright" is something I am learning extensively right now.

AI won’t replace testers, but testers who know how to think with AI will have a huge advantage. We shouldn’t measure AI's value by how many test cases it can generate. The real question is whether it helps us discover risks, challenge assumptions, explore better, and make better quality decisions. AI can generate a thousand tests, but knowing which thousand matter is still a human skill. I would also strongly endorse having governance practices in place if you rely on AI judgements.

Not just one, just a few pointers maybe. Be curious. Ask “what if?”, learn how the product actually works, understand the customer, experiment with tools, and don’t be afraid of breaking things. Tools will change throughout your career, but curiosity, critical thinking, and the courage to ask uncomfortable questions will stay with you.

Become someone who can think better about quality.

I treat it like a habit, not an event: I read, I write, I speak. I learn by doing rather than just consuming information. I follow what’s happening in the testing and technology communities, experiment with new tools, read, write, attend and speak at conferences, and most importantly, try to turn what I learn into something practical.

Teaching and speaking have also become a big part of my learning. When you have to explain something to others, you quickly discover what you really understand and what you still need to explore.

Quite a few:

• Learning to say "No".
• Testing is much bigger than just testing.
• Soft skills and Storytelling.
• I don’t need to know everything before asking questions; sometimes it's okay to ask dumb questions before starting testing instead of testing it wrong altogether.
• Testers should understand the technical details and work closely with the developers.

Honestly, outside of work, it’s mostly my family and my kids. I love spending time with them, whether we are travelling, going out, or just doing simple things together. My work keeps me constantly curious and switched on, so family time is where I get to slow down, be present, and enjoy the little things.

(Responses may have been edited for clarity.)

Pricilla’s journey is a powerful reminder that while tools and automation evolve, the core of quality engineering remains rooted in human curiosity, critical thinking, and a willingness to ask the tough questions. She exemplifies a modern quality leader—one who not only masters the technical complexities of APIs and AI, but actively dedicates herself to mentoring and empowering the next generation of testers.