John Trest is responsible for the strategic product vision at Inspired eLearning, spearheading the development of their acclaimed Security Awareness and Compliance training content.
With a keen focus on adult learning best practices and trends, and high-quality multimedia production, John has played a pivotal role in shaping Inspired’s award-winning training library. He has over two decades of experience in designing and delivering eLearning courses across diverse industries and subjects and has been a member of Inspired since 2009. John’s unwavering dedication lies in crafting top-notch training content that captivates learners while driving impactful outcomes.
How many years have you been a judge?
5+ years
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Multimedia Artist. That first job taught me everything about eLearning production, from script through multimedia production which included video, 2D/3D animation, and drafting.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
VR Physical Security course. It really had an impact on learners who went through the experience, sometimes these being their first VR exposure ever. It was also the first VR course in the Security Awareness Training market. And it was great to see clients using the course as a part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities to bring a spotlight on their organization’s cybersecurity policies and posture.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
Staying ahead of what our clients need or will want in the future as adult learning trends, technology, and the cyberthreat landscape are always evolving.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Production quality matters. Understanding motion and focus, an eye for what keeps people engaged.
How do you unwind from work mode?
If I have time, I love to draw. But, at the very least, it’s sitting on our back porch with a nice view of the sunset and just talking until dusk.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
I am in charge of development for our catalog of training content, from Security Awareness and Compliance to HR solutions. I’m also the strategic product manager, keeping a constant eye on both adult learning trends and the security awareness and compliance market.
What I love most are our team reviews of the multimedia production. They remind me of the art critiques I went through in college. And getting multiple views from both adult learning and multimedia experts in the creation of our content is part of our “secret sauce”.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
AI. Diving in and getting a hold on what this new technology can do to speed up our production and open up new product offerings. We’ve been monitoring the AI landscape for a couple of years, testing platforms and content, and it’s amazing how much the technology has improved and continues to get better.
