Director RJ McHatton with Jim Sypher of MassMutual
It is always very exciting to drive into downtown Seattle on a beautiful sunny morning. Today my son Jason and I could feel our ears pop as we rode the elevators up to higher floors of the big black Columbia Tower. We were there to interview Jim Sypher of MassMutual Financial Group. MassMutual was a finalist as one of the “Best Workplaces” as awarded by the Puget Sound Business Journal. We were interviewing all the top leaders of these companies for a video project. I really enjoyed meeting Jim and the MassMutual team. They are so enthusiastic and cheerful. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Jim did a super job in the interview. He talked about the unique “team” culture there at MassMutual and the important values that have been so profound during the recent financial crunches. He talked about the incredible dedication his team has focused on integrity and courage and character. Jim talked about how important attitude can be to the success of an organization. I learned a lot in my meeting with Jim. He has one of the best view offices I have ever seen. You can almost watch a Seahawks or Mariners game from his office. Jim explained to me how important the concept of “Mutual” is to his industry and how proud he was to work for MassMutual.