Paul Matthews
Paul has more than 6 years experience mentoring senior executives in the FTSE 100 and 250 and global equivalents across multiple sectors, utilising his plc, CEO and Non-Executive experience to bring a wealth of real life experience to mentoring. Paul was the UK and Europe CEO of Standard Life PLC between 2011 to 2017 and served as a PLC Board member through a time of significant growth and change culminating in the merger with Aberdeen Asset Management in August 2017. Paul has extensive experience in leading large scale and complex transformations, handling strategic relationships with clients, shareholders and investment advisors and building high performing teams. Paul has in depth knowledge of the UK and international investment pensions & savings markets and was a regular speaker at industry events in the UK and Germany.
Paul has a passion for helping businesses and individuals grow and succeed. He recognises that every executive has unique skills, experience and ambition. As a Mentor, he focuses on understanding their key objectives and working with them to achieve their goals. He has deep experience of supporting first-time CEOs and senior executives who are integral to CEO succession processes. Paul enjoys using his Board and PLC experience to help clients navigate and balance both their careers and personal lives – he knows that businesses rely heavily on their leaders to set both the strategy and culture and that it can be a tough and lonely place at times. Paul recognises the importance of great teamwork and believes that every person and company has the potential to do ‘amazing things’ and he wants to help those who have the aspiration to do so.
Paul went straight from school to work at the London Stock Exchange before joining National Mutual Life in 1978 where he worked for ten years in both investment and sales roles before joining Standard Life. Paul’s background was in marketing and sales before he went on to become the UK CEO and then UK and Europe CEO at Standard Life followed by an appointment to the main PLC Board. He has extensive experience in the Pensions, Savings and Investment markets as well as experience in both acquiring businesses and initiating start-ups. Paul retired in 2017 as the UK and Europe CEO of a FTSE 100 PLC with 1.2 million shareholders and 4.5 million customers in 45 countries. Now a Mentor at Merryck, he finds helping executives explore their options hugely rewarding and is excited by the opportunity to help others achieve great things. Paul is also an independent non-executive director at Quilter PLC and a non-executive director of its subsidiary Quilter Financial Planning.
Paul is married to Debbie with 3 children all now working in different industries. Paul enjoys walking, travelling and playing golf with his family and friends. In 2010, Paul started working with his own Mentor who helped him not only at Standard Life plc, but also in planning out the next phase of his life which he is now in. He was once told, “Life is not a dress reversal”, a quote he regularly shares with family, friends and clients.
