For this month's instalment of Meet the Team, we sat down with Paul Gibbons, PayDashboard's Chief Operations Officer. Known as "Mr PayDashboard" alongside our Head of Marketing, Laura Hughes who is known as "Mrs PayDashboard", Paul has been with the business since its inception and has seen it all.
With a background in bureau management, Paul's career has woven an intricate path through payroll services through to payroll software, where he is now instrumental in the ongoing development and enhancement of the PayDashboard product.
So who is the man behind the product? Let's find out:
Q: Where were you before PD?
P: I worked in a commercial bureau for 10 years, in payroll processing and bureau management. It provided a great foundation for my current role as Chief Operating Officer at PayDashboard, as I now understand the many sides of a bureau environment – from services to software.
Q: Can you be more specific around what you bring from the bureau environment to PayDashboard?
P: An understanding of how a bureau operates, theirs needs and wants. I am able to understand the position of the customer and use technology to try and help to solve the problems a customer could have.
Q: When did you start working for PayDashboard?
P: I started in 2016, at the beginning of PayDashboard’s growth. We joke that I am Mr PayDashboard (and Laura is Mrs PayDashboard!) – or the Holly and Phil of the payslip world.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
P: I live at the Essex coast, and dad to a 3-year-old boy, so I am quite busy as you can imagine! I also moonlight in a local pub and really enjoy the social aspect. I enjoy cycling a lot, so when I have time I will sneak off for a cycle down the seafront.
Q: If an alien landed on Earth and gave you the option to discover the entire galaxy, the only caveat that you would be away from Earth for 15 years, would you do it?
P: I would, but only if I could take my son and the people I love with me!
Q: Do you have a favourite food?
P: It’s a toss-up between Chinese and Turkish Meze
Q: What makes you excited about your job at PayDashboard?
P: The API piece is really interesting, and the fact that we are constantly putting ourselves at the forefront of connectivity with multiple suppliers and connectors to enhance the employee experience. Plus the fact that we now work with so many multiple sectors, and that this is growing everyday.
Q: Where do you see the company in 5 years’ time?
P: We started with 100 users, and now have over 500,000 users. I’d like to see another million users, and I really believe that is possible.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your role?
P: As COO, I own everything, and my responsibilities are far-reaching. No two days are the same, the job is very varied and definitely keeps me on my toes.
Q: And last but not least, what's a fun fact about you that you'd like to share?
P: People keep telling me I look like Harry Kane!
Paul's a vital cog in the PayDashboard wheel and unbeknownst to most people, wears many hats and manages more processes than you could shake a stick at! In fact, we're often left wondering how he manages to do it all!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about "Mr PayDashboard". Look out for next month's instalment, where we'll look behind the scenes at the life of our Head of Marketing, Laura Hughes. Stay tuned!