<p>Andy Papathanassiou became NASCAR’s first pit crew coach when hired by Hendrick Motorsports in 1992, as an original member of Jeff Gordon’s Dupont #24 race team. Prior to racing, Andy attended Stanford University on a football scholarship and started four years on the offensive line. </p><p>Andy graduated with his Bachelor’s in Economics and Master’s in Organizational Behavior. His philosophy and views as an outsider to NASCAR ultimately shifted the paradigm of how pit crews recruit, select and develop team members. Previously, pit crews were comprised of mechanics who devoted little time to practicing pit stops - relying instead on their vast, individual knowledge of car building and racing experience. Andy employed an athletic mindset and problem-solving approach, which centered on practice and repetition, coaching and review, innovation, and process improvement. Collectively, he calls this philosophy, Over the Wall™. Over The Wall thinking changed the paradigm of how all NASCAR teams select, train, and compete. After a 30-year racing career, with over 250 wins and 16 series championships, Andy speaks, conducts experiential events, and consults around high performing teams, transformative leadership, culture, paradigms, disruptive thinking and athletic mindset.</p>
NASCAR Visionary and Motorsports Industry Innovator
<ul><li><strong>Over the Wall Thinking</strong></li><li>Pit crews operate in one of the most dynamic and demanding teamwork environments imaginable. In racing, like in business and in life, there are no guarantees. Make one mistake that's too big or at an inopportune time and your day at the race is over - you go home while the race continues on without you. This creates incentive to be safe and conservative. Balance that against the fact that there are thirty-nine other teams you compete against at each event, and you never have even the chance to win unless you push people and equipment to their limits and beyond at the proper moment. Communication and empathy - understanding what those around you are doing at every instant - are critical factors in this world that judges human performance in tenths of a second. So is innovation since you must constantly innovate to stay ahead. Do something successful at the racetrack and you can be sure that everyone will soon copy you. If you don't have the next improvement ready, and the one after that, you quickly fall behind. Innovation is a process, not an "aha" moment.</li><li> Andy Papathanassiou, a Stanford University master's graduate, takes us into this world starting with his personal story and how his career in NASCAR began, oddly enough, by breaking the law! How passion overcomes obstacles and makes things happen. He talks about the make-up of highly successful teams. Whether it's pit crews, sales teams or groups that come together to accomplish any goal, the characteristics of successful teams are universal. Andy discusses leadership and the role of the individual. He coined the term, "Over The Wall Thinking," to describe his philosophy. Over The Wall Thinking focuses on the athletic mindset. It doesn't matter if you know anything about, or participated in competitive sports. It doesn't even matter if you like sports at all. The cognitive building blocks of competitive athletics give each of us the ability to lead a more engaged, successful and happier life.</li><li>Over his career, beginning in 1992 with Hendrick Motorsports – NASCAR’s modern-day dynasty, Andy's team building techniques and Over The Wall philosophy have transformed the paradigm of how all NASCAR pit crews operate. An accomplished communicator and presenter, Andy is available for presentations and keynotes about hyper successful teams, innovative thinking, and transformational leadership.</li></ul>