In the last year, Bob Paulsen, a two-time Titan 100, has learned to embrace change. “It’s so easy to continue down our regular daily path in our businesses as we are constantly bombarded with challenges that others in our companies may not be comfortable solving,” he said. “By taking a step back to see the bigger picture, I found a better path for the business that provides an opportunity for career acceleration for my team, an expanded market for our solution, and a great outcome for our investors.”
PlayerLync was founded in 2011 and is a mobile workforce empowerment platform that helps companies like Starbucks, Chipotle and Southern Company Gas ensure that every frontline employee has the personalized and timely information they need to do their job, delivered automatically through their mobile device.
In the past year, Paulsen led the merger of PlayerLync with Intertek, the global leader in quality assurance services for 300,000 companies around the world. With 44,000 employees in 100 countries, Intertek has the breadth and depth to certify quality products for the largest companies in the world, and now they have PlayerLync to serve their mobile workforces.
Paulsen decided to leave Intertek and has shifted his focus to a completely new area that is at the forefront of the medical industry. After his son was diagnosed with CMT, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that degrades nerves and muscles, Paulsen is now engaging with dozens of leading scientists, neurologists, associations, biotech leaders and other families to understand the pieces of the puzzle and begin to clarify the collective path forward.
“As we neared the merger, I envisioned a future where I could leverage my skills and experience to make an impact on people that changes lives, something that would provide reward by entering an environment that needs my support,” said Paulsen. “Then, CMT hit me square between the eyes.”
Although he had very different expectations for his next chapter, Paulsen said he could not be more thrilled to dive into a new field that will improve the life of his son, and also for the community and millions of people around the world. “My goal for the new year is to have a multi-phase, multi-pronged path funded and launched that will take the CMT community forward with expectations that we will be delivering a cure to my son and many others within the next three to five years,” he said.