Dmitry Fonarev

Dmitry Fonarev is a seasoned technology executive and CEO with over 20 years of experience building products and scaling software engineering teams across venture-backed startups and PE-owned companies. Currently serving as CEO of Testkube, a cloud-native testing control plane, Dmitry brings deep expertise in transforming how enterprise DevOps teams approach automated testing in Kubernetes environments.

Previously, as Executive Vice President of Engineering and Customer Support at SmartBear Software, Dmitry played an integral role in the company's remarkable growth trajectory. During his seven-year tenure, he scaled the engineering organization from 110 to 300 professionals while orchestrating multiple strategic acquisitions including Swagger, Cucumber, and CrossBrowserTesting. Under his leadership, SmartBear evolved from annual releases to continuous deployment across all products, establishing the company as a leader in software quality tools with over 3 million users worldwide.

Dmitry's track record speaks to his ability to navigate complex business landscapes: one failed startup, one IPO, and three successful exits (one strategic, two private equity). His leadership philosophy centers on creating high-performing teams that deliver measurable impact while maintaining a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

Beyond his executive roles, Dmitry is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of technology leaders. He serves as a mentor at Boston University's Kindle program, focusing on commercializing research discoveries, and volunteers as a judge for FIRST LEGO Robotics League competitions. His global perspective, shaped by leading distributed teams across the US, Europe, and Asia, informs his approach to building inclusive, collaborative organizations.

Dmitry's passion lies in making a difference through creative problem-solving, removing obstacles, and empowering others to succeed. He thrives on working with motivated teams, making strategic decisions, and turning calculated risks into winning outcomes that drive both business growth and technological advancement.