The author reflects on the growth of their engineering productivity team, which has recently rebranded from QA to focus on automation. They discuss the importance of having a dedicated product owner for automation projects, as this role helps set priorities based on business needs rather than just team interests. The author introduces the concept of an Automation Program Manager (APM), who assists in coordinating broad goals and working with automation product owners to build towards a shared vision. APMs help identify business needs, work with leaders to ensure testing is in place, and collaborate with product architects to understand the vision and plan for automation projects. The author emphasizes the evolving roles of test engineers, software engineers in test, and product owners in automation, highlighting the need for effective communication and coordination between teams.