Welcome back to ACE Spotlight, our weekly journey around the world to meet the people behind the expertise of the Oracle ACE community.
Every week, we discover different career paths, cultures, technologies, and personal stories, all connected by a shared passion for learning, sharing knowledge, and helping others succeed.
This week, we’re heading to York, Pennsylvania, USA, where we meet
Oracle ACE Pro Paul Lewis
An Oracle ACE since 2021, Paul brings a different perspective to our series, with expertise in Oracle EPM, Hyperion, and Narrative Reporting. His journey began with a simple desire to improve financial reporting, and today he’s passionate about sharing what he learns with others.
Outside technology, he’s a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, a potato chip enthusiast, and someone who appreciates a good weekend spent with family, coffee, and football.
Let’s meet Paul!
🌍 Where in the World Are You?
I was born and raised in the Pocono Mountains, when it was a vacation hotspot for honeymooners.
I’ve now lived in York, Pennsylvania, for over 30 years.
A fun fact about York is that it is considered by some to be the first capital of the nation, since it is where the Articles of Confederation were approved.
Another interesting fact is that York is referred to as the Snack Food Capital, due to powerhouse companies including Snyder’s of Hanover, Utz, and Stauffer’s being based here.
🎉 Three Fun Facts About Me
Growing up in the Poconos put me geographically close to NYC and Philly, but from my childhood all the way to today, I am a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
This might explain why I married my wife, as most of her family has Pittsburgh roots.
Based on where I live, it should be no surprise that I love potato chips.
Utz is my preferred brand, but I’ll try just about any, and I typically have a handful every day with my lunch.
☕ My Perfect Weekend
Saturday morning can either be slow and relaxing with coffee on the porch, or, if the weather permits and I’m in the right kind of mood, it could be a 20-mile bike ride on the local rail trail.
The rest of the morning is laid-back, probably with more coffee.
Lunch is with my wife at the local brewery. Maybe my son joins us, but that depends on what else he has going on.
The afternoon is spent walking around downtown and checking out the different little shops.
Dinner is steaks on the grill, followed by a family movie.
Sunday is a quiet morning, coffee on the porch again, then watching my Steelers game in the afternoon.
A big pasta dinner to close out the day.
⭐ ACE Since…
February 2021.
🚀 My Oracle Journey
In 2008, I was working in the FP&A group at a defense contractor.
They had Hyperion, and part of my job was doing analysis and compiling reports.
I didn’t like the way we were doing reporting. I believed we could get more out of Hyperion by leveraging its reporting capabilities, so I started learning everything I could about Financial Reporting in Hyperion and building my own reports.
This eventually led me to a position in the Hyperion administrators group.
💡 One Oracle Feature More People Should Know About
In Oracle EPM, you can always access documentation and often get specific help topics for the page you’re on.
This can be a real time-saver. You can go right to the documentation to help you with whatever questions you have.
🛠️ A Project I’m Proud Of
A few years ago, I was part of an Oracle EPM implementation at a medical device company.
We were a small team of four consultants plus a dedicated client team of three people.
We were on-site every week in the same conference room, so we got to know each other really well.
It became a dynamic team, working together, designing and developing a successful implementation.
And we had fun doing it!
The days were long, and the travel was a real pain, but it was all worth it for the feeling of accomplishment when it was done.
📚 What I’m Learning Right Now
I’m in constant learning mode with Claude AI.
I use it as part of my professional and personal life every day.
💬 Ask Me About…
I’ve lately been getting back into Narrative Reporting.
I presented at both Ascend and Kscope on tips and tricks in Narrative Reporting.
I’m most impressed by the enhancements coming to Narrative Reporting with AI commentary, and I believe it’s a feature that will continue to evolve and be useful to clients.
🌟 Advice for Aspiring Oracle ACEs
Share your knowledge!
There is hardly anything more satisfying than being able to teach and mentor others.
When I learn something new, I can’t wait to share it with others.
🤝 Let’s Connect!
You can find me on LinkedIn and my blog:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pauljlewis
Blog: randomepmnotes.com
This week, ACE Spotlight took us to York, Pennsylvania, where we met an Oracle ACE whose career journey began with financial reporting and grew into a passion for Oracle EPM.
Paul’s story reminds us that sometimes our professional journeys take an unexpected turn simply because we see an opportunity to do something better.
What started with wanting to improve Hyperion reports eventually led him into a new role and a deeper understanding of the technology.
And his most memorable project wasn’t just about a successful implementation. It was also about the people he worked with, the relationships they built, and the satisfaction of achieving something together.
His advice for aspiring Oracle ACEs captures that same spirit:
Share your knowledge!
Because every time we share what we’ve learned, we create an opportunity to help someone else.
Did you miss our previous ACE Spotlights?
🇲🇽 Meet Rolando Carrasco, Oracle ACE Director — From Oracle Database and BPEL to agentic architectures, with a passion for building community.
🇯🇵 Meet Takayuki Nishio, Oracle ACE Pro — 25 years of Oracle Database experience, mountain climbing, and lessons about backup and recovery.
🇬🇧 Meet Kate Mead, Oracle ACE Pro — From retail and HR to Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM, AI, and the human side of technology adoption.
Next Wednesday, our international journey continues as we meet another person behind the expertise — with a new location, a new Oracle story, and a new perspective to share.
Where will ACE Spotlight take us next? 🌎