by Rick Seaney, CEO FareCompare.com

Who’s behind that beard? Our Grumpy Santa is FareCompare employee Michael Federico.

When I hired Mike earlier this year for the newly created Writer/Researcher position, I knew he’d be good and he’s proved it over and over again: Incredibly talented, hard-working, and a real team-player.

Well, I guess he’s proved he’s the ultimate team-player now!

When some of my colleagues and I came up with the idea for Grumpy Santa, the first person we thought of was Mike. No, he’s not exactly grumpy, but he’s got a great deadpan sense of humor, and he can be wickedly funny.

Plus, he’s a terrific writer which is perfect for a blogging Santa (you can read more about Grumpy Santa’s Big Adventure, and, why we’re doing this nutty stunt in the first place, by clicking here).

And here’s something I’ve only just discovered: Mike was a theater major in college. Now that’s just serendipity.

Tune in to see what happens: Will Mike endure the rigors of a 25,000-mile trip? Will Mike keep his sense of humor? Will Mike keep his sanity? Don’t wait to find out, see for yourself, by clicking here!