Andy Papathanassiou

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 forty-one 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 in order to stay ahead. Do something successful at the race track 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.

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. Papathanassiou 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 such as racing. 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.

Over his twenty-year career with Hendrick Motorsports – NASCAR’s modern day dynasty, Papathanassiou 's team building techniques and Over The Wall philosophy have transformed the paradigm of how NASCAR pit crews operate. An accomplished communicator and presenter, Papathanassiou is available for presentations and keynotes about hyper successful teams, innovative thinking and transformational leadership.