Mechanical engineer Travis Wright studied at Marquette University, Milwaukee, beginning his career in iron and steel manufacturing before moving into high technology.
Wright’s passion for energy and sustainability came from seeing the impact data centers can have on the world, and in 2018 he became heavily involved in QTS’s sustainability program as the company’s vice president of energy and sustainability.
“With so many people on the planet, I think it’s important to go out and do good in the world,” Wright says. “Data centers are huge and impactful and have the ability to move the needle, so it’s of the utmost importance to me personally and to QTS as a business that we clear the way for others, for utilities to be able to deliver power differently, allowing others to take advantage of it.”
Leadership and management
Wright has one key rule when it comes to management: Hire great people and get out of their way.
“You can’t be a great leader without great people,” explains Wright, “so basically I’m trying to make sure we have a really solid team. Throughout my career, I have found that when I achieve this, people are more excited about their work because they feel empowered – therefore more likely to excel in their roles. It also creates a nicer company culture.”
And the company culture is just one of the aspects Wright enjoys most about her work at QTS. “It’s not like any other company I’ve worked for in the past,” he admits.
Wright recalled his first week working for the company when he saw two vice presidents meet and give each other a big bear hug at a construction site. “That’s when I realized that the people at QTS don’t just work together – they actually like each other,” beamed Wright. “It made it very clear that QTS only hires great people who work hard, inspire each other and want to achieve great things for the planet.”
Wright explains that for Chad Williams, CEO of QTS, it is important that this culture is implemented throughout the company to ensure that all employees have the best interests of both the company and society at heart.
Career milestones
Over the course of Wright’s nine years at QTS, he has reached a number of milestones that he is extremely proud of. Topping the list, however, is winning the award for Best Philanthropy and Corporate Giving Initiative. “There’s no question that the team receiving such a prestigious award is at the top of my list of career accomplishments,” shared Wright.
“On a personal level, I would say my crowning achievement was launching the site in Texas. From there, I was able to come back and create a similar innovation with the sustainability program that is now built into the company.”
“It’s been amazing to see how the people who work alongside me have had such a huge impact on the way the company operates. When we look at some of the really big things that have happened at this company, it shows what a huge impact our sustainability program and company culture has had on the larger business.”
“For example, when QTS was acquired by Blackstone 18 months ago, we were competing against 109 other data centers. Our flagship sustainability program aligns with what Blackstone wanted to do in the world, so I believe the sustainability program has had a huge impact on QTS, which makes me incredibly proud.”
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