Employee Spotlight: Paul Strassmaier

I am Paul’s first Padawan. He has been my mentor for 6 years, since his first day, when he was assigned as my Jedi Master.

Paul directly and indirectly handles moving pieces in all the companies that most of the time go unnoticed, and definitely go unrecognized, so he is a perfect choice to spotlight.

Paul embodies all of O’Brien’s core values to a tee. Trust is built through consistency and reliability, and when it comes to actual tasks being handled, or truth of character, Paul is exceptionally trustworthy. He also contributes to other people’s growth in garnering trust, not only through encouragement of teamwork, diligence to the process, but just by mirroring it himself. The mirror neurons are strong with this one.

Whether you’ve been in a meeting with Paul, or just had a conversation with him, you’ll get a sense of his curiosity towards the process. You’ve probably also noticed that his office doesn’t have a door and his walls are made of glass–you can see he has an open door policy. Accounting has very intense-focus duties, but you can walk into his office, and he pushes back from his desk and crosses his arms and actively listens. I worked with Paul on establishing the quarterly and annual meetings, and his desire to make certain that we have a cross section of all roles across the companies having a voice at the table also displays how he values collaboration.

Paul is very project oriented, and is a master tinkerer. Over all the years of his life he has continued to take machines that have missing or broken parts, searches high and low for replacements, and not only gets it running again but levels it up. What better metaphor is there for someone dedicated to innovation? Whether for the design-build model or traditional building, he brings the same mindset of creative vision and technical thinking.

If it were up to me, Paul would use up all of his PTO he is accruing every year. He brings so much value to his team and company across all divisions, but rarely takes time for himself. My desire would be that he gets to enjoy his life and his family more. I see this around the corner for him as his team grows.

– Elly Carroll, Director of HR

Paul with Lucas Paul Strassmaier.

Q&A with Paul

I grew up in a family full of Architects and Engineers. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and my parents wanted someone to do their taxes so they sent me to school to get an accounting degree. I liked it, especially the management classes. My first job was in an Architecture firm and I’ve been in the industry my whole career. BTW: I never once did their taxes….

I don’t get to do the building, but I am really proud of the projects that we do and the lives that are influenced by the places that exist because of our collective work.

I was fortunate to work in some pretty exciting firms and learn early from some great people. Some of those experiences were during challenging times, which really tests a person. At O’Brien it has been about getting the most we can from limited budgets to further support our staff, the Company, and Clients at the highest level possible. This has occurred through great tax strategies, captives, medical plans, and other things to allow us to enhance our benefit plans without spending more money. It’s very rewarding and has really made a difference for everyone.

Portland. I really love the City, the opportunities, and the projects. I live very close to the new office in Lake Oswego, so that will be a welcome change from a commute standpoint!

I was a Boy Scout leader for a long time, so anything outdoors in the PNW with minimalist camping is fantastic. Take as little as you can and see what can be done! And you’ll also find me at Beaches, which is a huge car show and amateur drag race scene, or at the Portland Swap meet where everyone is buying replacement parts for the engines they broke at Beaches….

Early on someone said to me “People support what they help create.” I don’t think I appreciated that at the time as much as I do now. You can have all of the answers but if you haven’t brought people along and remained open and curious about their thoughts and opinions you just won’t get where you want to go.

Just over a year ago I became a grandparent for the first time. That’s a whole new feeling and hard to explain.

It really applies to everything: remember that you create your own world. Don’t be a victim of circumstance or external things. Move from being interested in something to engagement and action. O’Brien is full of opportunity. Ask questions and be curious, then put it into action.