Paul was educated at Allhallows school, Devon before attending Kingston University where he attained a diploma in quantity surveying. He qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with Dearle & Henderson in London in 1981 before then taking a two year contract with Armstrong & Duncan in Nairobi, Kenya.

Paul started his career with Langdon & Every in their London office in 1985 before their merger with Davis Belfield & Everest. He obtained an MSc in Project Management from Reading University in 1996. Paul became a Partner in Davis Langdon in1997 when he relocated to Oxfordshire to manage the Abingdon office

Paul is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of the Association for Project Management. His primary sector experience includes healthcare, science & research, affordable housing, higher education, infrastructure and commercial offices.