Paul Zahra is a prominent Australian business leader and experienced board director who brings a unique perspective to boardroom governance shaped by his journey from shop assistant to CEO of one of Australia's most iconic retailers, David Jones.
With extensive crisis leadership experience—having navigated David Jones through significant transformation and later leading the Australian Retailers Association through the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19—Paul understands firsthand the critical importance of difficult conversations in the boardroom.
His background includes managing major strategic disagreements, addressing cultural issues, and making tough calls during periods of intense stakeholder pressure. As one of the first openly gay CEOs of an ASX top 200 company, Paul has been a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, bringing courage and authenticity to conversations that many boards still find challenging.
He has served on multiple corporate, government advisory, and not-for-profit boards, where he champions contemporary governance issues including climate responsibility and workplace wellbeing.
Paul holds qualifications from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and combines his commercial acumen with a deep commitment to creating boardroom cultures where difficult conversations can happen with both respect and impact.
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