We extend a warm welcome to our new Director of Human Resources, Paul Mastropolo.
Paul on a trip he took with his wife to the NC mountains. He says "It's a good one for a few reasons - it highlights my love of traveling, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Carolina Hurricanes."Paul on a trip he took with his wife to the NC mountains. He says "It's a good one for a few reasons - it highlights my love of traveling, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Carolina Hurricanes."Paul (@pmastropolo) joined JMP on June 1, 2022, after exactly 11 years at SAS. (He started working at SAS on June 1, 2011.)
“Paul comes from SAS HR with loads of experience and knowledge of JMP, as he was Janet Stone’s manager during many of her years at SAS,” @Jon_Weisz wrote in The JMP Report in April. “Paul will hit the ground running as he takes over from our beloved Janet when she retires at the end of June. Welcome, Paul!”
While many JMPers have told Paul that he has big shoes to fill, @John_Sall joked that Paul has already impressed him. “Paul’s a dog person!” John said. “And Janet prefers cats.” If you didn’t know before this, John Sall prefers dogs over cats.
As you get to know Paul, you may be curious what he and @JanetStone have in common – other than leading our HR team. Or you might want to see how they differ. They both answered the same questions, so reference Janet’s article to compare the two.
Lightning Round
Where were you born?
Yonkers, NY (USA)
What was your first job?
The first job I got paid for was as a golf caddie in high school. It was a great job because I would work from about 7 or 8 in the morning until noon a few days a week in the summer, make some good money, and have the afternoon off. I also enjoyed watching the golfers play and getting a chance to drive the golf carts.
In one word, what's the best thing about your current job?
People. I know it's a predictable answer, but it's true. I just celebrated my 11-year anniversary with SAS/JMP and the relationships I've formed in the business and in the HR community have been my favorite part of the job. I recognize that was more than one word!
List three of your favorite hobbies.
Coach Paul and players from his teams.Coach Paul and players from his teams.Playing/coaching soccer. I'm a huge soccer fan and have been playing since I was five years old. I have four children and am the head coach for two of their teams (one is a team of 11-12 year-olds and another is a team of 13-14 year-olds). I love teaching soccer skills to youth and hoping I can inspire them to love the game as much as I do.- Traveling (I love visiting new places, especially internationally).
- Playing games/board games/solving Wordle and Quordle puzzles (I'm hooked on those word games and do the daily puzzles for both). I'm throwing a lot in this one, but I'm a kid at heart and no one needs to ever ask me twice if I'm interested in playing a game.
Describe yourself in three words.
Compassionate, social, and trustworthy
What book are you reading?
I'm going to be honest that as much as I love reading, I have a hard time finding time to read books between work, being a dad, and activities I'm involved in outside of work. I read a lot of blogs/articles and listen to several podcasts. That said, my oldest son has had some mandatory reading at his school, and I've read a few of the books myself including A Raisin in the Sun, Unbroken, and The Outsiders.
What is your favorite movie genre?
Comedy
What is the first web page you go to when you start work?
InsideSAS or InsideJMP
If you could have a dinner party with five famous people, who would they be?
- Jesus
- Mother Teresa
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Lionel Messi (to give me soccer tips)
- Jimmy Fallon (to add some laughs to this party)
What is your favorite podcast to listen to?
Bible in a Year
Name one JMP-related achievement that you're proud of.
Does getting hired into JMP count? It's a bit early in my JMP tenure for me to call out an achievement.
Name one thing most of your colleagues would be surprised to know.
Paul with his wife, Amanda, and their kids (Alex - age 17, Sara - age 14, Nathan - age 12, and Anna - age 7).Paul with his wife, Amanda, and their kids (Alex - age 17, Sara - age 14, Nathan - age 12, and Anna - age 7).My wife and I are both the oldest children in our families and both of us have sisters that are 14 years younger than us (with other siblings in between). When we got married, I think they were in 1st and 2nd grade. They ended up going to the same high school and being in the same classes together. I thought it was rare for me to have a sibling with such a big age difference, but to have a spouse that shares that trait is unique!
Name one other person in the company who you admire and describe why in three sentences or fewer.
Janet Stone. It has been an honor and privilege to work with Janet throughout my career with SAS and JMP. Not only is she outstanding at her job, but she is also an incredible human being - kind, compassionate, generous, trustworthy, faith-filled....and the positive attributes can go on and on. Janet has a beautiful heart, and I'm truly going to miss working with her, but so excited for her and Greg to enjoy their retirement together.
This or That?
- A seaside holiday OVER mountains
- Dogs OVER cats
- Coffee OVER tea
- Graph Builder OVER JSL
- Restaurant OVER picnic
- Pie OVER cake
- Late night OVER morning
- Extrovert OVER ambivert or introvert
- Silly OVER serious
- High-tech OVER low-tech
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