SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Andy Papathanassiou became the first professional racing, “pit crew coach,” when NASCAR’s renowned organization, Hendrick Motorsports, hired him on their new team, created for (then rookie) hall of fame driver, Jeff Gordon.  For the racing novice, Hendrick Motorsports is an elite professional motorsports organization with multiple NASCAR teams, 600 employees and a $100 million dollar plus operating budget.  Over the ensuing twenty-eight years at HMS, while amassing over 250 race wins and 16 series championships, his philosophy and views as an outsider ultimately shifted the paradigm of how all pit crews select and develop their team members.  Working with the Championship teams of, Alan Kulwicki, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Chase Elliott, Andy brings his vast experience and winning expertise to any group looking for the secretes of team success, through keynotes, presentations, and amazing experiential events.  In truth, there are no secretes, only Andy’s inspiring and methodical approach, Over the Wall™, built on culture, people, accountability, and execution.

“Papa” grew up in Emerson, New Jersey, the son of Greek immigrants, who favored education over sports. He attended Emerson Jr./Sr. High School, where, as a National Honor Society member, he played on the football team, leading it to a perfect season in 1984. Throwing the shot put, he was a USA Today All-American and held the NJ state record for over a decade. He played college football as an offensive lineman, on scholarship at Stanford University, starting every game of his college career. He graduated, earning a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s in Sociology, emphasizing in Organizational Behavior.

After college, still with the dream of being a professional athlete, he discovered NASCAR by sneaking into the Sears Point (now Infineon) Raceway, in Sonoma, CA., and volunteering with a team during the 1990 NASCAR weekend.  This is where he saw his first pit stop.  Following the series back to North Carolina and building his racing resume, he joined Hendrick Motorsports in 1992 as the #24 DuPont team’s pit crew coordinator; a groundbreaking position in NASCAR. Papathanassiou defied conventional methodologies and sought pit crew candidates with athletic, not mechanical, experience. He had them practice frequently and undergo team building exercises as well as fitness training. Under his guidance, Jeff Gordon’s 1995 pit crew consistently had the fastest pit stops, which contributed towards the team’s first championship.  Many record setting performances followed. Other teams took notice, and by the late 90s most teams had adopted Papa’s methods.  Teams now recruit and employ many former college athletes.  Pit stop times decreased from 18 or 19 seconds in the early 1990s to 11 seconds today.  This decrease in time happened despite a reduction in crew size, from a max of eight members, down to five, due to rule changes over time.

Previously, mechanics, who devoted little time to practicing pit stops, comprised pit crew rosters – relying instead on their individual knowledge of car building, tools, and racing experience for at-track performance. Andy, employing Over the Wall™ thinking and problem-solving approaches, focused on practice and repetition, coaching and review, innovation, and process improvement. Racing organizations now regularly recruit former players, from a number of different college and professional sports, who undergo rigorous training aimed at acclimating and adapting their athletic skillsets to particular pit crew positions.

During his career as Director of Human Performance, Andy designed, grew and lead from inception, the 50-member, multimillion-dollar pit division, responsible for nationwide recruiting, development, contracts, logistics, health and emotional support systems for elite athletes.  In the corporate office, he designed and lead Human Resources for the organization, which included creating company policies and procedures, hiring practices, employee training and retention, performance evaluation, and federal/state/local compliance.

In 2006, concurrent with team duties, he was elected and served a six-year term as Executive Director of the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA).  The NCMA and its board of directors represent the state’s multibillion-dollar motorsports industry.  The association advocates for a diverse client base of over 200 member organizations, including teams, tracks, facilities, manufacturers and suppliers, marketing agencies, educational institutions, and government interests, with 20,000 sector employees.  He remains on the Board of Directors.