“Before you even go into a meeting, the CMI stamp says it all”

Paul Graham CMgr MCMI is having a busy week. He’s just started a new job as leadership and talent facilitator at the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), based between Birmingham and London. It’s a new job, and a new role at the FRC, which is an independent, arms-length government body responsible for regulating auditors, accountants and actuaries. 

In a way, the role is a blank sheet of paper, which sounds daunting, but for Paul it’s an exciting new challenge. It’s the culmination of a wide-ranging career that, so far, has taken him from life as an equestrian athlete to working in sports management, and now working in leadership and development. But amid the numerous induction meetings, he still managed to squeeze in an interview about the CMI and his Chartered Manager status, something else he’s passionate about.

No mere horseplay

Growing up in Cumbria, Paul Graham loved horses and competition and, in the late 90s, he embarked on a career as an equestrian athlete in three-day eventing. By 21, he realised he was going to make it as a pro athlete.

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”I had to try very, very hard,’ he admits, ‘but perhaps wasn’t the most naturally talented. And, compared to some of my peers, it was clear that I didn’t really have the necessary backing or support and needed to come up with a different career plan. But I wanted to stay within the sport, so I transitioned into a career in logistics and management, taking teams of horses and riders to competitions around the world, to championships and Olympics, and it went from there.“

Paul worked at British Eventing for ten years, becoming a member of middle management, working with athletes and teams in a role that focused on “delivering the essential back-office support needed to drive medal-winning performances, while also fostering talent pathways for young athletes aiming to compete internationally”. Which all sounds very glamourous. And hard work.

From there, he worked as sports operations manager at British Dressage, before moving on to become head of customer experience at the British Triathlon Federation. 

Just before Covid struck, Paul branched out on his own and became a consultant. Having successfully navigated this challenging time, he wanted the security of employment again – and an industry/career change.

And then came the pivot – or half-pirouette, as they say in dressage. 

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“I had some executive coaching from a colleague, Emma Godwin, which posed the questions: what is it you want to do? What do you enjoy? What are you interested in? What are you good at? What are your transferable skills? The answer was developing people.”