Meet a Hansonite: Paul Molnar
We’re always curious—in fact, it’s one of our core values. It’s also a reason we started this “Meet a Hansonite” blog series, where we’ve been introducing you to our fellow Hansonites, telling you a little about their background and passions, and learning what they like most about working at Hanson. We’ve recently gotten to know more about Director of Experience Delivery Joe Holub, Associate Creative Director Chris Hatfield, and Visual Designer Becca Maag. Today, we’re getting to know Paul Molnar, Senior Project Manager.
Sally: Paul, how long have you been at Hanson?
Paul: I have been with Hanson for 23 years. I actually did my first internship with Steve Hanson 34 years ago, so I’ve been in the business for quite a while. I started at Hanson as a video producer and event technical producer. My expertise at the time was understanding technology and how it was utilized for video production, meeting support, and event & tradeshow production. I was also responsible for IT support for the company. When we moved to Maumee, I was IT manager, and also supported our clients for tradeshow and events. Today, I manage long-term digital projects. So throughout my career, technology has been all about the “Show,” however you might define it, supporting the user experience for clients and their clients.
Sally: Talk about a jack of all trades! Describe your role now.
Paul: I am the Project Manager for a major, long-term project known as the NewsSlide App. Project Manager is not much different than a video/broadcast/event producer. My job is to make sure the team has all the info they need to complete a given task/project. My IT background is helpful in understanding the server and app side of the project and how they interact. My producer background helps with recognizing what resources I have available to complete the given task, and putting those resources in play in an efficient manner. Basically, there are a lot of spinning plates, and I have to make sure none of them fall.
Sally: What are 3 things you love the most about your job?
Paul:
- Change is the only constant
- Solving puzzles
- Great team, great clients
Sally: Do you have a favorite newspaper or blog you read regularly?
Paul: NewsSlide (HAHA), nasa/space x, and Tesla community blogs.
Sally: What are you passionate about? What are some things you’re involved in (outside of work)?
Paul: Cycling. Every year for the past 15 years, I have participated in MS Bike to the Bay. It’s a two-day fundraising ride for MS where I ride 75 miles each day. I find cycling very calming and reflective.
Another thing I think is very important is sharing my talents and treasures with the community. I have assisted in multiple plays and musical performances, offering my technical background and logistic skills to help in productions at my kids’ schools. I also host a monthly men’s breakfast at my parish, where we cook and then have fellowship and spiritual reflection discussions.
Sally: Before working at Hanson, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Paul: Most of my work career has been in the agency world, and that in itself has been interesting and diverse. One of my most memorable experiences was while working for a different agency, where we were responsible for supporting Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF) and their LOF Video news program. We did a feature story on the LOF Rossford plant, and had to cover a story in the prototype department, which is where my Dad worked for 40+ years. I had the opportunity to see him at work, and then he got to see my work when we staged the presentation in the plant and presented it to the whole plant.
Sally: Wow, talk about full circle! So our core values are: Be Yourself, Embrace Family, Get Emotional, Stay Curious, and Own the Adventure. What is your favorite one (and why)?
Paul: Stay curious. My whole career is built around continuous improvement, staying curious, and learning new things (my degree is in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Photography). When Photography went digital, so did I. That meant understanding how the new technology worked and how all the tech integrated with each other. My job was (and in many ways, always has been) to make sure all the toys played well together.
Sally: If you could describe Hanson in 3 words, what would they be?
Paul: Creative, High-Bar, Challenging.
Sally: Thanks so much for letting us get to know more about you, Paul!
