Paul took over as CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, having previously been CEO of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. A history graduate from Cambridge University, Paul began his career at MBNA Bank, completing the Bank’s Graduate Management Scheme and working in a variety of roles across the organisation in both the UK and the US. Following a period working as a consultant, Paul returned to live in the US in 2005 when he accepted a role working for Randy Lerner and the Lerner family’s private office.

In 2006 Paul was an integral part of Randy Lerner’s purchase of Aston Villa, and relocated to Birmingham to work at the club, initially as COO and then as CEO from 2010 to 2014. Locally, in addition to his role at the Chamber Paul is also Chair of Sport Birmingham and the Birmingham Cultural Investment Enquiry, an Associate Non-Executive Director of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and a Trustee of Cure Leukaemia, Town Hall Symphony Hall, and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity. He lives in Sutton Coldfield and is married with two young sons. Paul was appointed a Trustee of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity in April 2015.