An InReach staff person will be featured in each InReach newsletter, so you might get to know the members of the InReach team. Mark Widner, InReach product manager, is the first to be featured.
What do you do at InReach?
“I’m a product manager, and I also manage testing. A product manager looks at our current solution with an eye to constant improvement. We listen to our customers; we look at the new things in the market, and work to stay cutting edge with our improvements. As to testing, we do a number of different types including what is called regression testing. Regression testing is work I do to ensure everything on the platform is working. Also, as we are building something new, an enhancement, I test the new feature against the existing platform to make sure everything works. A great deal of regression testing is done before each of our releases.”
How long have you worked at InReach?
“I was hired in 2004. The company had just moved from Arizona, and I actually helped get the new Austin office set up. My first week I helped haul a satellite dish up the side of the building! Since 2004 I have seen a lot of changes. Of course technology changes quickly, so the biggest change has been the improvements in technology. It’s amazing to think of the catalog today as compared to the catalog when I started. That time seems light years away.”
What do you enjoy most about your job?
“Every day is different so I enjoy the variety. I get to work on many different things and work with everyone at InReach. I don’t do the same thing all the time.”
What is your favorite childhood memory?
“As a child I lived in Michigan on the Upper Peninsula, above the 45th parallel and just south of the North Pole! I guess my favorite memory is sitting in the living room with my family while the fireplace was going, and it was zero degrees with six feet of snow outside. When I grew up I moved to Texas because that was just crazy (the cold and snow, not the family)!”
What are your hobbies?
“I don’t have hobbies. I have a house. I guess my hobby is improving and fixing it up!”
What is your favorite movie of all time?
“The Fifth Element, with Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. Chris Rock was in the movie too, so there is a lot of comedy.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119116/
What do you want our clients to know about you?
“I’m sure this is true of everyone here. We always champion the clients. We listen to what they need and tailor what we do to meet their needs. We always have the client’s best interests at heart when we do work. We find out what they need and deliver it.”
