Paul began his career straight from school at the London Stock Exchange before joining National Mutual Life in 1978, working for ten years in investment and sales roles. He then joined Standard Life, where a background in marketing and sales ultimately led to his appointment as UK, and later UK and Europe CEO, followed by a seat on the main plc Board. He built extensive experience in pensions, savings and investments, as well as acquiring businesses and initiating start-ups. Paul retired in 2017 as UK and Europe CEO of FTSE 100 company abrdn plc, serving 1.2 million shareholders and 4.5 million customers in 45 countries. Paul also served as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Quilter plc for six years, and as a Non-Executive Director of its subsidiary, Quilter Financial Planning. A Mentor at Merryck for eight years, he finds helping executives explore their options hugely rewarding and is excited by the opportunity to help others achieve great things.

Paul has a passion for helping businesses and individuals grow and succeed, recognising that every executive brings a unique combination of skills, experience and ambition. As a mentor, he focuses on understanding each client’s objectives and context, then working with them to shape practical strategies to achieve their goals. He has significant experience supporting CEOs and senior executives who are central to CEO succession processes, helping them to step up to increased complexity, scrutiny and responsibility.