Paul E. McMahon has been active in the software engineering field since 1973 after receiving his master's degree in mathematics from the State University of New York at Binghamton (now Binghamton University). Paul began his career as a software developer, spending the first twenty-five years working in the US Department of Defense modeling and simulation domain. Since 1997, as an independent consultant/coach, Paul helps organizations and teams using a hands-on practical approach focusing on agility and performance.

Paul has taught software engineering at Binghamton University, conducted workshops on software engineering and management, and has published more than 50 articles and 5 books. Paul is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He is also a Senior Consulting Partner at Software Quality Center. Paul has been a leader in the SEMAT initiative since its initial meeting in Zurich.