“My disability is an advantage that pushes me forward”

Two things have defined Paul Wilden CMgr CCMI’s career: a passion for travel and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. He spent 30 years in corporate and investment banking and finance roles in the UK and Asia, and has been a Chartered Companion since 2021. 

Paul has worked both indirectly (with TMF Group and Apex Group) and directly (with Warburg Pincus and Lovell Minnick Partners) in private equity for the past eight years – initially as part of the senior management teams of portfolio companies and, for the past two-and-a-half years, in various advisory capacities.

Paul’s international outlook and commitment to diversity and inclusion, informed by his own experiences with disability, have been integral to his success. 

An early career shaped by travel and independence

After backpacking around Australia, New Zealand and Asia for 18 months, Paul returned to the UK in late 1992 and decided to take a strategic approach to starting his career. 

Travelling pre-internet gave him independence and a strong understanding of different cultures, which helped shape his journey: “I was queuing up in different cities around the world to collect my post. I needed to grow up and be independent – and I knew that if I didn’t do that, the trip could be cut short and I’d be going home sooner than I realised.”

Paul’s first job after travelling was with Citibank. After getting a foot in the door at this large international organisation, he was promoted quickly to different roles that aligned with his ambitions.

“As a 20-something, I was entrusted to go and visit clients in North America,” Paul recalls. “I found myself in New York and Detroit, sitting with companies like General Motors and GE. One of the good things about Citibank – and this plays into the CMI work around being an accidental manager or a strategic manager – is that it’s a very good training ground.”

After Citibank, Paul was headhunted by Barclays for a role that came with a 70% pay rise. While this move was financially beneficial, Paul put himself under immense pressure, feeling as if he had to work 70% harder to justify the new salary. After four years at Barclays, during which he navigated a period of major corporate restructuring, he moved to BNY Mellon in 2000. By the age of 38, he was promoted to managing director.

Championing diversity, disability and intersectionality

In 2005, Paul felt drawn back to Asia. He moved to Singapore, first with BNY Mellon and then with Standard Chartered, which led to a 14-year stint away from the UK. During this time, he ran regional and global businesses and lived in Singapore and Hong Kong. It was also a pivotal opportunity for Paul to step up as an advocate for disability and intersectionality in the workplace.

Born with microtia atresia, Paul’s right ear was not properly formed, which has affected his hearing. But he says that, instead of holding him back, this visible difference made him more determined to succeed.

“In Singapore, I started getting more involved in diversity and inclusion,” he says. “I’m married to a man, so for me it’s about LGBTQ+ and disability, so intersectionality is something that’s very valid and relevant from my perspective.” 

Paul’s parents were told that he would never be academically successful; he would miss too much in the classroom because of his hearing. But having that disadvantage was a real driver for him to succeed.