From mobile and web testing to backend, performance, and CI automation, meet the IWConnect QA team helping build reliable software for a leading U.S. EV charging network – EVgo!
In software, quality is rarely about finding one bug at the end of the development process. It is about understanding how a product behaves, identifying risks early, testing different scenarios, and making sure every part of the system works together.
That is exactly what our QA automation team does.
Recently recognized through both internal feedback and client appreciation, this team works on a large-scale digital platform supporting a growing EV charging ecosystem in the United States – EVgo. Their work spans mobile applications, web portals, backend services, performance testing, and automated testing integrated into CI pipelines, with results tracked and monitored through ReportPortal.
Meet the people behind the testing
The team organizes its work across three main areas: mobile testing, operator and driver portals, and backend and performance testing. This structure allows the team to cover different layers of the product while working closely together to maintain quality across the entire system.
And behind every area are people with different strengths, interests, and ways of approaching their work.
Let’s meet them.
Kire Kokologos — Team Lead
For Kire, one of the most important parts of leading a QA team is knowing what deserves attention first – especially when everything appears urgent.
How do you prioritize tasks when everything seems urgent?
“When everything feels urgent, I start by separating ‘urgent’ from ‘important’ – not everything that feels pressing blocks other work or carries real consequences if delayed. I look at impact and dependencies first: what’s blocking teammates, what has a hard deadline, and what will cause the most damage if it slips.
From there I typically tackle the highest-impact, time-sensitive item first, batch smaller quick wins together, and communicate early with stakeholders if something needs to be deprioritized, so expectations stay aligned rather than everyone assuming their item is at the top of the list.”
It is a simple approach, but an important one in a complex software environment: prioritize based on impact, understand dependencies, and communicate before a small issue becomes a bigger one.
What book, movie, or podcast recently inspired you?
“The Pursuit of Happyness – because the ending isn’t luck, it’s a earned victory that proves the daily grind pays off.”
For Kire, the lesson is simple: consistency matters.
Dejan Ilievski — Intermediate QA Consultant
Keeping up with technology is part of everyday work for a QA engineer. But Dejan believes some of the most valuable learning happens when theory meets real project challenges.
How do you stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in your field?
“I usually keep up by reading what other QA professionals are sharing, following updates from the tools I use, and trying out new ideas in my daily work. I also learn a lot from the challenges we face as a team, because real situations are often the best way to discover what actually works.”
That combination of continuous learning and hands-on experience is particularly important in test automation, where tools, frameworks, and best practices continue to evolve.
What’s one thing your colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?
“My colleagues might be surprised by how competitive I am with myself, especially when it comes to running. I enjoy setting new goals, and constantly trying to improve my personal best.”
Apparently, the mindset of continuous improvement does not stop when the workday ends.
Elena Stojanovski — Senior QA Consultant
Elena enjoys one of the parts of software development where QA professionals can really explore how a product behaves from different perspectives: testing.
What’s your favorite phase of a project lifecycle and why?
“I’d say my favorite part is the testing phase. I enjoy going through the product, trying different scenarios, and finding things that might not work as expected. I also like working with the team to fix those issues and seeing the product improve.”
That curiosity is at the heart of good QA. Testing is not simply about confirming that something works. It is also about asking, What happens if we do this differently?
What’s a hobby or interest outside of work that helps you recharge?
“Outside of work, I enjoy reading books, exercising, traveling, having coffee with friends, and spending time with my family. These things help me relax, clear my mind, and recharge.”
A good reminder that even people who spend their days looking for edge cases need time away from them.
Aleksandar Presilski — Intermediate QA Consultant
For Aleksandar, QA was a natural fit for a simple reason: curiosity.
What drew you to this field of work in the first place?
“I’ve always enjoyed figuring out how things work and, more importantly, finding ways to make them work better. That naturally led me to software testing and QA. What I especially enjoy about working on this project is the opportunity to work with new technologies that are constantly evolving. Things never stop changing, so there’s always something new to learn, explore, and understand. It keeps the work challenging and interesting, and it pushes everyone on the team to keep learning and sharing knowledge with each other. I really enjoy being part of that kind of environment.”
For a technical team, that willingness to keep learning is more than a personal quality. It is part of the job.
Which song best represents your personality?
“MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – CAN’T HOLD US”
No further explanation needed.
Dime Shutevski — Senior QA Consultant
Dime’s recent learning journey has taken him deeper into distributed systems and AWS-based services – knowledge that directly influences how he approaches testing.
What’s something new you’ve recently learned that improved your work?
“Recently, I’ve deepened my knowledge of testing distributed systems and AWS-based services. Understanding better how services communicate through things like SQS, EventBridge and Step Functions has helped me investigate failures beyond just the API level and build more meaningful end-to-end tests. It has made me better at identifying where an issue actually originates rather than only testing the final result.”
This is an important distinction in modern software systems. When multiple services communicate and depend on each other, testing only the final API response may not be enough. Understanding what happens between those services can help QA engineers identify the actual source of a failure.
What’s your ideal way to start a Monday morning?
“Coffee, a quick look at what happened over the weekend, and then getting clear on the priorities for the week. I like to start Monday knowing what the biggest risks or QA priorities are so I can work on those first.”
Coffee, priorities, risks. Sounds like a solid QA Monday.
Goran Kotevski — Senior QA Consultant
If there is one misconception about QA that Goran would like to correct, it is that the job is simply about finding bugs.
What’s something about your job that people often misunderstand?
“People often think QA is just about finding bugs. In reality, QA is about preventing problems, identifying risks, and helping resolve issues that impact clients. We work closely with developers and stakeholders to make sure the product is reliable, user-friendly, and delivers a good customer experience.”
That broader view of quality is especially important in products where reliability directly affects the user experience.
And Goran brings the same mindset of discipline and persistence outside work.
What’s a personal achievement outside of work that you’re really proud of?
“One personal achievement I’m really proud of is finally competing in a BJJ tournament. It took a lot of consistency, discipline, and pushing myself outside my comfort zone to get there. For me, stepping onto the competition mat was a bigger achievement than the result itself.”
Sometimes, the most meaningful achievement is simply deciding to step onto the mat.
Quality is a team effort
What stands out about this team is not just the technologies they use or the areas they cover. It is the combination of technical curiosity, continuous learning, communication, and ownership.
From mobile applications and web portals to backend services, distributed systems, performance testing, and CI automation, their work touches different layers of a complex digital product.
And behind every automated test, every investigated failure, and every release is a group of people who care about making software work better.
That is what quality looks like when it becomes a team effort.
Interested in building reliable software with an experienced QA and engineering team? Talk to IWConnect about your next project.
Want to be part of a team that learns, builds, and solves complex challenges together? Explore our career opportunities and start your next chapter at IWConnect.