Building Relationships is His Specialty

Relationships and helping people mean a lot to Ryan Simmons, one of Paladin’s client experience specialists. So much so that he got his bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University in sociology with the intent of possibly going into social work one day. For now, Ryan enjoys building relationships with his clients at Paladin. 

“Building relationships is important. I feel like I get to do that now. I get to build relationships with my clients. That’s kind of cool,” Ryan says in his soft-spoken way. 

Ryan was born in California but raised in Central Oregon. He graduated from Redmond High School with interests in information technology and music. The former interest led him to jobs at Best Buy, where he was a member of the Geek Squad for seven years, and with a church and Christian school where he was a network manager. 

He began studying guitar in middle school and still plays. He’s entirely self-taught, joking that he learned as much as he could at “YouTube University.” Even though he downplays his talent, he became good enough to play and sing in a “pop punk” band and for Bend’s Riverbend Church worship group where he has a standing monthly gig. 

Ryan describes himself as an “old soul” who enjoys antiquing with his wife, Amber. They love perusing antique and thrift stores to find furnishings and items for projects on their home. The couple bought their first home during the height of the pandemic and like many Americans have spent the past two years doing improvement projects. He built a deck and installed air conditioning that keeps him, Amber and their two cats cool during the warm Central Oregon summers. 

Ryan and Amber enjoy the typical Central Oregon pastimes – camping, hiking, hunting and fishing. And, as you can see by the photograph, they also like attending Oregon State Beavers games. 

Ryan has come a long way since joining Paladin a little over a year ago. He started as a technical service representative and was soon promoted to his current position. His tech background and quick study has endeared him to his clients. Ryan has nearly 40 stores he works with regularly to make sure they are running smoothly. 

“Patient, kind, considerate – he’s all those things,” Charles Owen, Paladin’s chief experience officer and Ryan’s supervisor, says. “He knows what he’s doing. Learned the role well. His clients and his peers love him.” 

Likewise, Ryan is enjoying his role at Paladin. 

“I get to build relationships with many of them. Some are new to Paladin, so they have more questions. They’re looking for ways to help their business,” he says, adding that he enjoys his work and his company. “It feels more like a family here. I’m not just a number. People know me a lot more as a person. It’s kind of nice.”