Paul started off with a Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Brooks University Oxford and worked in planning policy for Leicestershire County Council for 3 years before moving to New Zealand in 1981.

Paul then worked for the Ministry of Works and Development in both Wellington and Wanganui before taking a lead role in the establishment of the planning capability within Works Consultancy Services Ltd. For over ten years Paul was the Manager of the Wellington office and was head of the resource management discipline nationwide.

For the next 20 years, from 1996 to 2016, Paul was a director of Environmental Management Services Ltd based in Wellington. This niche company focussed on experienced resource management consultants providing a personal service to clients with offices based in Hamilton, Napier and Wellington. In 2016 the company merged with Mitchell Associates to form Mitchell Daysh Ltd a specialist resource management consultancy with offices throughout New Zealand.

Since then Paul has continued to service his established client base as a contractor to Mitchell Daysh prior to establishing Thomas Planning Ltd in 2018.