Philadelphia, PA – Purolite is excited to congratulate Michael Rivera, IT Technician at Purolite’s Bala-Cynwyd Headquarters, who has been awarded Employee of the Month, September 2019! Douglas Carney, Director of Information Technologies, observed Michael’s efforts over the summer in completing challenging system updates and changes, and nominated Michael. Michael’s nomination received a ton of support and positive feedback from the rest of the team. Douglas indicated that Michael, “has shown additional initiative in helping to implement the Preactor scheduling system, creating an extensive Preactor user guide, and has become the Go-to IT department resource for supporting US staff in understanding and using Preactor.”

Michael began his career with Purolite two years ago, working as an intern in the IT department while finishing his college credits. Douglas noticed Michael’s talents, and when he finished his internship, Douglas offered him a part time job, and later a full time position. Flash forward two years, and Michael shows up every day at 7:30, ready to provide support for IT issues, troubleshoot network issues, and work on our database. He is also working on implementing the Preactor system, a planning and scheduling system used to schedule product deliveries to customers.

The process of implementing the Preactor system included first learning the system’s functions, then creating a manual for users and training employees working in production and shipping on how to use the system. Throughout the process of correctly programming Preactor functions, Michael was asked to learn all of Purolite’s products, and their substitutions, which he did with no previous background in chemistry.

“I am proud of being chosen to manage this new system. I have spent a ton of time to understand it and its features, and I think it will be a very useful tool to Purolite. It’s nice to know that my work will help streamline our processes in real-time.” Michael shares about his involvement in the Preactor implementation.

Since the Preactor will be implemented globally at our all of our production plants, Michael has had the opportunity to travel to Romania to train the staff there on how to use it, and will soon be traveling to China and the UK to train those locations. “It has been one of my favorite projects to be involved in,” Michael expresses, “but also one of the most challenging. It’s a lot of information, and I had to spend hours just in the application trying to understand how it works and where each function and page is.”

Outside of work, Michael says he is proud of his academics, having graduated college on the Dean’s list all four years. He is also proud to have provided his younger siblings with a good example, and guidance.

Throughout his time here at Purolite, Michael shares that he has gained many important skills such as: patience, working effectively with others, troubleshooting, networking and managing the backdoor of our systems. “My three biggest strengths, I think, are my patience, my eagerness to learn new applicable IT skills, and my friendliness.”

Michael mentions that he enjoys the relaxed, family-oriented environment at the Bala-Cynwyd Headquarters. “There’s not a lot of stress, it seems like people here are more-so focused on openness and understanding one another. There is always someone to talk to.” He is also interested in learning more about networking and network connections, and was given the opportunity to attend a network-training course.

Michael comes to Purolite from Northern Philadelphia, PA. When not typing away at a system backdoor or troubleshooting network issues, he frequents local golf courses, or spends time with his siblings and mother. Michael is an avid sports fan, following the Eagles, Philadelphia’s football team, and the Flyers, Philly’s hockey team.

Douglas identifies Michael as a dedicated, consistent, and willing member of the IT team. He mentions that Michael is always happy to take on new tasks, wants to learn as much of the technology as possible, and maintains a “go –getter” attitude when faced with a new challenge. “It is a pleasure to work with Michael. He is always willing to help out, or help a co-worker with an especially tricky project. He always wants to learn new skills, and recently attended a security training to become more involved in our web security systems. Michael has displayed patience and understanding in implementing and training Purolite staff on how to use the Preactor system, and I am grateful to have had his help with this daunting project. Congratulations Michael!”

To someone looking to reach this level of accomplishment in their career, Michael suggests, “stay true to yourself and your interests, and make sure that your work ethic reflects your dedication and involvement in your work.”

Congratulations Michael! The effort and dedication you put into each project is a strong reflection of yourself and your contribution to the team!