Michael Cooper
About Michael Cooper
Michael Cooper serves as the Senior Director of Software Engineering at Transamerica, where he has worked since 2017. He has extensive experience in quality assurance and software engineering, having held various leadership roles across multiple organizations, including Accenture, Equifax, and T-Mobile.
Work at Transamerica
Michael Cooper has served as the Senior Director of Software Engineering at Transamerica since 2017. In this role, he has been instrumental in leading a distributed team of over 140 quality assurance professionals. His leadership has focused on the implementation of modern digital technologies and methodologies, including DevSecOps and Agile practices. Cooper has played a significant role in supporting the migration of infrastructure to the Cloud, specifically utilizing AWS and Assure. Under his guidance, Transamerica serves 13 million customers in the U.S., contributing to $1.42 billion in underlying earnings.
Previous Experience in Quality Assurance
Before joining Transamerica, Michael Cooper held several key positions in quality assurance across various organizations. He worked at Accenture as an Executive Level Quality Consultant/Advisor from 2016 to 2017. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Quality Assurance at Equifax from 2003 to 2005. His experience also includes roles at Revenue Technologies, T-Mobile, Fair Isaac Corporation, Inovis, and Healthcare IT Leaders, where he held positions ranging from Quality Assurance to Chief Quality Officer.
Education and Expertise
Michael Cooper holds an MBA in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University, where he studied from 1995 to 1998. He also completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government at the University of Florida from 1988 to 1992. Additionally, he studied Victorian History at the University of Cambridge during a semester abroad in 1990. His educational background supports his extensive expertise in software engineering and quality assurance.
Achievements and Recognition
Michael Cooper received the 2018 QA Financial Vector award for his contributions to significant improvements in quality, security, and efficiency. His work emphasized continuous delivery, test automation, robotics, and process improvement. Furthermore, he has been recognized as an international speaker, sharing his insights and expertise at engagements across continents, including Latin America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Background and Early Career
Michael Cooper began his career as a District Executive with the Boy Scouts of America from 1993 to 1997. He transitioned into the technology sector, where he gained experience in quality assurance roles at various companies, including Invesco Retirement and Hewlett-Packard. His early career laid the foundation for his later roles in leadership and quality assurance, contributing to his comprehensive understanding of the field.