Note: This is a special edition of Get to Know, celebrating Jeff Perkinson's 35th Anniversary at JMP (May 9, 1988). Be sure to wish him congratulations in the comment section!
But first, a few words from some special JMP friends:
John Sall @John_Sall: "Jeff Perkinson was a member of the founders' group that worked for JMP ever since the first release back in 1989, and he has become, more than anyone, the public face of JMP. Jeff was our only tech support person at the beginning and pioneered a group that has always been excellent. From his background in tech support, he has been a superlative customer advocate, advancing the interests of the user. Jeff has also been our master of ceremonies and the articulate host for our conferences. It probably helped that his educational background was in TV production at UNC. (This training probably also helped Jeff in his detour at Southpeak Interactive as a game developer.) Jeff moved from Tech Support to the JMP division and became a manager of the processes for releases and licensing mechanisms. Always an advocate for the user, he became the manager of Customer Care, managing the group that served customers with JMP Day site visits, local user groups, and advanced troubleshooting. Then he championed the community.jmp.com, famously handing out dollar bills to anyone that mentioned the website. That website went through several implementations. More recently his responsibilities have grown as Tech Support moved to our new subsidiary, along with Education. Jeff led Tech Support to a new Service Cloud implementation, along with shaping the MyJMP self-service website for customer installations and license management. Much of the JMP customer experience revolves around Jeff’s long experience as a face of JMP and his advocacy for the JMP user. His title is now Director of User Enablement. Congratulations Jeff on your 35th anniversary at JMP—I can’t imagine JMP without you."
Brian Corcoran @briancorcoran: “Jeff is always a professional and a fierce advocate for the customer. Over the years Jeff and I have had many debates over technical direction and how we can best serve our customers. I always have the deepest respect for Jeff’s opinions and advocacy. Jeff has done a wonderful job leading Customer Care and working to make the JMP Community a productive and friendly platform. Perhaps most importantly, Jeff provides an energy to the JMP Division that comes across in our conferences and customer conversations. He is a tremendous ambassador for our software and the power that it can provide to the brilliant minds using it. It’s hard to imagine JMP and its overwhelmingly positive evolution without Jeff’s contributions.”
Diana Levey @Diana_Levey: "No JMP employee cares more deeply about the user experience – with the possible exception of John Sall – than Jeff Perkinson. Seriously, Jeff’s passion for taking care of users comes across in everything he does. He helped build a JMP community of users before Community.jmp.com was even conceived.”
Jon Weisz @Jon_Weisz: “Jeff Perkinson taught me how to use JMP! I didn’t know the software at all when I joined JMP. Jeff taught me a lot then, and he’s continued to teach me over the years. Simply put, Jeff is remarkable. I admire him because he’s still passionate and engaged. He’s dedicated to our company, to the product, to John Sall, to his team members, and, of course, he’s uncompromisingly dedicated to our users. He’s good at a lot of stuff. Many of you have seen Jeff MC a Discovery Summit – obviously, he’s great at that. But ask him about the time he improvised an entire boat tour in Copenhagen, making things up as we went. It was perhaps one of the funniest things I’ve seen.”
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Let's learn a little more about Jeff (@Jeff_Perkinson)!
Jeff with his wife, Kathy, and daughters Erin (left), Amy (right) on their Bachelors and Masters graduationJeff with his wife, Kathy, and daughters Erin (left), Amy (right) on their Bachelors and Masters graduationWhere were you born?
Old Rex Hospital on the corner of Wade Ave. and St. Mary's Street, Raleigh, NC.
Where do you live/work now?
About a mile and a half from that corner.
What was your first job?
My grandfather owned an automobile service station. I worked with him for a week or two every summer for four or five years before I was a teenager. He taught me everything I know about customer service, including lessons that still apply today. "Come back and see us!" was the way I was taught to say goodbye to each customer. He knew that treating a customer with respect and a smile would bring them back.
An early photo, Jeff is seen second from the left.An early photo, Jeff is seen second from the left.What is your role within JMP?
Director of User Enablement. We're responsible for ensuring that every user has the tools they need to get all the value out of JMP that they can. Learn JMP, Tech Support, User Events, User Community and Digital Experiences are all a part of User Enablement.
What do you enjoy about your job?
The people, colleagues, and users. I appreciate the opportunities to learn from all of them about statistics, business, and the world.
List three of your favorite hobbies.
Photography, movies, simple woodworking. I also enjoy tinkering with home technology and automation.
Describe yourself in three words.
I should let others do that. The word that a former colleague used was "particular." I think I can agree with that.
With Massimo Martucci, Martin Demel, Kevin Lennon (Intel), Maria Astals, Ian Cox, Jon Weisz, Robert Anderson, and Adrian Porter (Intel) in Leixlip, Ireland.With Massimo Martucci, Martin Demel, Kevin Lennon (Intel), Maria Astals, Ian Cox, Jon Weisz, Robert Anderson, and Adrian Porter (Intel) in Leixlip, Ireland.What book are you reading?
The Husband by Dean Koontz and How to Be Perfect by Michael Shur
What is your favorite movie genre?
Anyone who knows me knows that there is not a type of movie that I won't watch. Except for horror films. Life is scary enough. I don't need more than that.
What is the first web page you go to when you start work?
Do you really need to ask? community.jmp.com - though actually I keep up with most of what's happening there through email notifications.
If you could have a dinner party with five famous people, who would they be?
That's too hard. I don't know what most famous people would be like at dinner. I like good conversation with lots of jokes and philosophy. I'd probably rather have a really good meal with good friends.
What is your favorite podcast to listen to?
Again, there are so many. Two of my favorites: The Business from KCRW about the business of entertainment, and Planet Money from NPR about economics.
With running group including customers and colleagues, Mandy Chambers and Hadley Meyers at Discovery in FrankfurtWith running group including customers and colleagues, Mandy Chambers and Hadley Meyers at Discovery in FrankfurtName one JMP-related achievement that you’re proud of.
The thing I'm proudest of is the influence that JMP has on the products that I use every day. Almost everything I use has been influenced by analytics from JMP. From my computing devices to the tires on my car to my laundry detergent and other household goods, each is made better by people who use JMP. It's amazing to think of the impact that JMP has on making the world a better place.
Name one thing most of your colleagues would be surprised to know.
I'm more introverted than extroverted.
Name one other person in the division who you admire and describe why in three sentences or fewer.
Everyone has qualities that I admire and would like to adopt. I couldn't pick just one. I'm honored and lucky to work with so many talented, kind, generous, and driven people.
This or that?
What does Jeff prefer? (answers in BOLD text)
- A mountain holiday or A seaside holiday
- Cat or Dog
- Hot chocolate or Coffee or Tea
- Graph Builder or JSL
- Picnic or Restaurant
With Zhaobin Wang, Bill Worley, Meg Hermes, Pin Hu, and Laura Higgins at a horse track in Singapore.With Zhaobin Wang, Bill Worley, Meg Hermes, Pin Hu, and Laura Higgins at a horse track in Singapore.
- Cake or Pie
- Morning or Late night
- Introvert or Extrovert or Ambivert
- Silly or Serious
- High-tech or Low-tech
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