Reed Gusmus, the director of marketing at QASymphony, brings a passionate, creative, and analytics-driven approach to the executive role in which he is responsible for the development and implementation of highly effective digital marketing campaigns. A thoughtful and ambitious professional right from the start, Mr. Gusmus demonstrated a wholly unique skill set that — combined with his vibrant entrepreneurial spirit — allowed him to gain vital experience as a freelance digital marketer while still working toward the degrees in management and marketing he earned from Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business.

As a freelancer, Mr. Gusmus established an extensive client list that included companies from all over the United States. Striking a balance between his academic responsibilities and his burgeoning digital marketing career, Mr. Gusmus showcased a unique ability to create highly specialized marketing campaigns designed to produce a very specific outcome for the client. A versatile professional even at this early stage, Mr. Gusmus achieved a great deal of success while focusing on marketing strategy, web design, photography, videography, SEO and PPC.

Upon graduation from Kennesaw State, Mr. Gusmus’ dynamism earned him positions with BestPickReports.com, ClickMedia, and PGI. Mr. Gusmus consistently focused on expanding his skill set and continued to earn a reputation as an innovator and pioneer in the field of digital marketing, ultimately leading to his current role with QASymphony.

The expert B2B digital marketer has thrived in his executive leadership role with QASymphony, and he has already sparked tremendous interest in the test management tool company’s expansive product offerings, including the JIRA test management platforms that are now available to software development teams in need of a platform capable of simple integration. The interest generated by Mr. Gusmus’ marketing campaigns has resulted in demonstrable business growth and has had a positive impact on QASymphony’s top- and bottom-line revenue.

1. What is your favorite thing about traveling?

Traveling makes it possible to really step back and evaluate one’s point of view through an entirely different lens.

2. Is traveling a hobby or a lifestyle for you? How did you get started?

It is a hobby that has evolved into a lifestyle, especially after having so many wonderful experiences traveling abroad.

3. What is the most beautiful place you’ve been to?

Norway’s north country offered spectacular views of both the fjords and the Northern Lights.

4. Do you have any exciting travel dates planned for the future?

I plan to visit Queensland, Australia, with the hope of seeing the Great Barrier Reef.

5. What are some travel tips you’d give to someone inexperienced?

Organized tours and travel guides are a great way to become familiar with a new location, but the best experiences are often spontaneous and completely unexpected.

6. Where would you like to go?

I’d like to see New Zealand as well as Australia, so I am hoping to have ample time to experience both countries when I travel to Queensland.

7. Where would you like to revisit?

would like to go back to Norway and perhaps travel throughout all of Scandinavia on an extended trip.

8. Do you travel alone? Why?

I’m always willing to travel alone since I love to meet new people in new places, but I certainly enjoy having company as well.

9. If you could pick the top 3 places every person should go, what would they be?

1. Norway

2. Vancouver, British Columbia

3. Fiji

10. Do you travel light or do you pack up the house?

I think traveling light is always best. I enjoy setting out on a trip with nothing more than the basics.

As an internationally renowned expert on sustainable design and clean energy finance, Marlon Kobacker has traveled all over the world to offer his insight and expertise through speaking engagements and also while working in an advisory capacity on an endless array of sustainable building projects. Mr. Kobacker is the director of Sustainable Future Group, where he offers technical advice regarding the various strategies and funding options available for removing the capital cost barriers associated with improvements in sustainability performance.

Mr. Kobacker is also a principal with the sustainability design team for Clean Energy Corporation Australia (CECA), where he contributes to making a wide range of critical clean energy services available, including the design and delivery of solar photovoltaic systems and the creation and implementation of an Ecologically Sustainable Design (ESD) strategy specifically geared toward improving the sustainability performance of both new and existing assets. In addition to his roles with Sustainable Future Group and CECA, Mr. Kobacker is currently serving as a sustainability advisor for EarthRights International while working on an internal project.

As the very first graduate of the world’s first undergraduate program in photovoltaic engineering, Mr. Kobacker began his professional career with an eye on innovation. After earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of New South Wales — the latter of which being a Master of the Built Environment in Sustainable Design — Mr. Kobacker stayed on as a faculty member at UNSW while developing and teaching “Solar Architectural Technologies.”

Over the past decade, Mr. Kobacker has shared his vast expertise in the service of the clean energy and sustainable design industry by accepting countless invitations to lecture at conferences held all over the world. At these international conferences, Mr. Kobacker often speaks on the subjects of cost-efficient sustainable design and whole-of-life optimization, both of which were featured as topics in his recently published book, “Removing the Capital Cost Barrier to Sustainable Design.”

1. What is your favorite thing about traveling?

Since I travel so often for professional purposes, my favorite aspect of travel is the opportunity to exchange new ideas with my industry peers.

2. Is traveling a hobby or a lifestyle for you? How did you get started?

Traveling is most certainly a lifestyle. I have always been an avid traveler, but I began traveling much more extensively after I started speaking at conferences about clean energy finance and cost-efficient sustainable design.

3. What is the most beautiful place you’ve been to?

Fiji, especially the Lau Archipelago.

4. Do you have any exciting travel dates planned for the future?

Yes, I actually have several trips lined up for the future. The one I am most excited about is a trip to France later on this year.

5. What are some travel tips you’d give to someone inexperienced?

I like to make a loosely outlined itinerary so I can make the most of the time I have in a particular location.

6. Where would you like to go?

Even though I live relatively close to it, I’ve never been to the fjords of Milford Sound.

7. Where would you like to revisit?

Lyon, France.

8. Do you travel alone? Why?

I almost always travel alone, but only because of the nature of my work.

9. If you could pick the top 3 places every person should go, what would they be?

Fiji; the Okavango Delta in Botswana; Chile

10. Do you travel light or do you pack up the house?

I travel with nothing more than the bare necessities, so traveling light is definitely my preference.