I started my career as an HR practitioner 20+ years ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, but I still remember the things I loved — and didn’t love so much — about that job.
What I loved: Conversations. Building relationships. Finding amazing candidates and putting them in a position to impact the business. I loved the people stuff. And I still love the people stuff. It’s why most of us get into (and stay in) this industry.
What I didn’t love so much: All the transactional work — the filing cabinet and paperwork type stuff. The stuff that was necessary to get the strategic work done, but slows everything down. Back then, there was no ATS, let alone AI to help get work done. We had literal, physical inboxes and I’d walk out in front of our office to plant a banner that let people know we were hiring.
We’ve come so far. And yet, we still have so far to go.
That’s exactly what excited me most about joining Paradox four years ago. I understood the pain, but also the potential of technology to solve the problem to create a better experience for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers.
Four years and 2% to vision.
Of course, my first day at Paradox as Chief Product Officer was… interesting.
It was the day the world shut down — in February 2020. COVID closed offices around the globe and none of us were sure what the future held. Like many startups, there was no crystal ball to help us see into the future.
But as a team, we felt confident Paradox had some core ingredients that would help us weather any kind of storm:
- An incredible team and culture where care for our clients — and the candidates they serve — matters more than anything else.
- A product vision that aligned with where the world was going — focusing on how AI, automation, and conversational experiences could get work done and free people up to spend time with people, not software.
- Amazing clients representing some of the world’s most respected brands who believe in a future that offers a faster, better experience for their candidates and their teams.
I’m proud to say that, four years later, those ingredients — and Paradox’s core DNA and values — have proven critical to our success. Over that time, we’ve grown by more than 1,000%, we’ve added hundreds of new clients, we’ve grown to seven offices around the world, and we’ve done it all in partnership with the true “champions of talent”: passionate practitioners, strategic partners that align with our view of the world, and teammates who bust their tail every day to make the magic happen.
Over that time, we’ve also won a bunch of awards with our clients. We’ve developed strategic partnerships with the most significant companies in our industry. And I’m proudest of this: we’ve driven real, measurable transformation for a lot of incredible companies, saving them countless dollars and lost time.
Yet for all that success, there’s so much more we can do and do better.
Ask anyone on the Paradox team what we’ve accomplished since our founding in 2016 and you’ll probably hear some version of: “we’re 2% to vision” — a reminder that we have so much more we can still accomplish. As we grow, our goals and aspirations do, too.
Leading the next stages of Paradox’s growth.
I guess I buried the lede. But at least I hid it in the headline.
In case you didn’t see the news today, Paradox founder Aaron Matos has given me the incredible honor and opportunity to step in as Paradox’s next CEO. It’s a humbling task to step in for a visionary founder to guide our culture, strategy, and direction for the next phase of Paradox’s growth. But I’ve had the privilege of learning from some amazing leaders — from Sue Marks, the former CEO at Cielo, Dick Burke, the founder of Trek Bicycle, to Aaron, who took me under his wing and provided invaluable advice and mentorship over the last four years.
Those experiences helped shape a lot of my thinking about what it means to lead an enduring company of scale and taught me some important lessons that’ll influence how I steward Paradox forward. Our continued focus will be creating a “different kind of software company,” where taking care of our clients, candidates, and partners comes first and all good things flow from that.
Oh, and in case you didn’t read the press release: Aaron’s not going anywhere — which we’re all thrilled about.
He’ll assume the role of Executive Chairman, where he’ll continue to serve as an advisor and mentor for me, as well as Paradox’s Board of Directors, and the company’s executive team — focusing on developing and refining the company's strategic vision and working collaboratively with the product team on future innovations. Mike Gregoire, who also sits on the board of AMD and Smartsheets, will continue as Lead Independent Director of Paradox’s Board of Directors. Gregoire was previously the CEO of Taleo and CA Technologies, and is the founding partner of investment firm Brighton Park Capital, which led Paradox’s Series B investment.
So, what’s next?
The best part about taking the helm as CEO of a company that’s performing incredibly well is that there isn’t a whole lot I need to come in and shake up. Instead, my focus will be on strengthening the things we’re already doing well and looking for opportunities to improve our execution in areas where we know we can do better.
Ultimately, I believe Paradox has the best team, clients, and partners in this industry.
It’s an organization that gives a damn — about the people we serve and the teams we support. It’s a business with a product that we all believe can put a real, meaningful dent into the universe. It’s an opportunity any CEO would dream about. And I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.
To Aaron: Thank you for your trust and mentorship — yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
To the Paradox team: Thank you for your commitment to each other, our clients, and our partners. Your care will take us far. Let’s keep rolling up our sleeves, because our mission serves a greater purpose for our company, our communities, and organizations around the world.
To our clients: Thank you for your belief in us. We remain insatiable about not settling for the “good enough” of today and we’re humbled by the opportunity to serve you. You have my commitment that’ll never change.
Now, enough talking. Let’s get back to creating the future together.
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