Paul Zahra (he/him)

Paul Zahra served as chair of the board of directors of The Pinnacle Foundation from February 2016 until October 2021, after joining the board in June 2015. We now honour Paul as our founding chair.

Paul is an experienced CEO, Non-Executive Director, Chair, Mentor, Advisor and one of Australia’s most influential diversity and sustainability advocates. A leading force in the Australian retail industry for over 40 years, Paul has a passion for the retail community.

Paul’s roles have included CEO and Managing Director of David Jones Limited and CEO of the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) as well as senior leadership roles at Target Australia and Officeworks Superstores. Paul has worked across retail, hospitality, personal services, education and the arts. His experience goes across ASX listed companies, private equity, franchising, start-ups, government and not-for-profits.

Paul has been previously credited for leading the digital transformation of one of the oldest department stores in the world leading to its successful sale at a premium in 2014. Under Paul’s stewardship, David Jones was transformed from a traditional bricks and mortar retailer to a contemporary omni-channel retailer, with modernised in-store systems and technology, resulting in the Company’s average online order rising to three times the value of the average in-store transaction. During his time, Paul revolutionised the service proposition initiating personal shopping, click and collect and new store formats.

Paul’s tenure at the ARA was marked with record financial performance, and setting a strong industry policy agenda. He demonstrated his strong political influence by advocating, supporting and leading the retail industry through covid, managing the escalation of customer aggression and retail crime and the biggest industrial relations reform in decades- securing reforms to the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA). During this time he significantly advanced the industry’s sustainability efforts, and diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes. One of the most exciting achievements was the progression of the amalgamation with the National Retail Association (NRA). This move has created the largest retail body in Australian history, ensuring the new entity can achieve even more for retailers across advocacy, training, sustainability, and beyond.

Paul was formally the chair several boards including The Pinnacle Foundation, PwC Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, and Ambassador for the 30% Club. With a strong sense of community, Paul is currently a member of the board of Wayside, a not-for-profit dedicated to helping the most vulnerable in society.

Paul is an alumni of Stanford University, USA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).