Scaling QA for 1500+ APIs at CIBC
Building Predictability Into One of the Largest API Ecosystems
Overview
CIBC's Shared Services middleware handles every non-financial transaction across the bank - account updates, profile changes, settings, alerts, authentication, and everything in between. Behind this ecosystem are 1500+ SOAP APIs, several LOBs, dozens of integrations, multiple vendors, and millions of daily calls.
The Challenge
Managing quality at this scale required more than testing - it required architectural thinking.
- 1500+ APIs with shared dependencies
- Dozens of LOBs interacting with shared middleware
- No unified automation strategy
- Highly distributed teams across Toronto & India
- Cross-vendor coordination
- Manual-heavy regression cycles
- Complex release readiness gates
- Increasing demand for delivery speed across Agile squads
My Approach
1. Turn Quality Into Architecture, Not Afterthought
I mapped the entire API ecosystem: Dependencies, change patterns, high-traffic services, cross-LOB touchpoints, and regression clusters. This gave us a blueprint for risk-based testing.
2. Build a Global QA Organization With Clarity
A team of 22 engineers was reshaped into: Middleware Integration Squad, Regression Squad, Release Readiness Squad, and Automation Squad. Each was aligned to outcomes, not tasks.
3. Automation at Scale
We introduced a modular automation framework, environment-agnostic API tests, shared data generators, and parallel execution to cut runtime. Automation coverage across 1500+ services increased dramatically.
4. Build Predictability
Created metrics including defect leakage, coverage vs risk, hotspot APIs, release confidence indicators, and dependency risk alerts. Directors and architects used this to make decisions - not guesses.
5. Partner Across the Bank
Created direct channels with LOB heads, dev leads, architects, business owners, and vendors. This reduced "surprise failures" and improved alignment.
Outcome
- Regression time reduced significantly
- Predictability improved across all releases
- Defect clusters dropped
- LOB confidence increased
- Automation-driven releases became the new norm
- Middleware QA became a strategic pillar, not a checkbox
Today, this ecosystem serves millions of Canadians - silently and reliably.
Why This Matters
This wasn't QA. This was platform engineering leadership. Most people test systems. I help architect reliability into them.