Paul Edwards
Director

Paul is one of Australia’s most experienced corporate communications advisers.

Paul is one of Australia’s most experienced corporate communications advisers, with a track record of leading communications strategy in complex, high-profile organisations in the financial services, media, energy and resources industries for more than 35 years.

During a 20-year career at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), Paul was Group General Manager of Corporate Communications and formerly Head of Group Media Relations. He was a communications strategist and advisor with responsibility for media relations, internal communications, reputation and issue management, and social media reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Shayne Elliott (having previously reported to former chief executives Mike Smith and John McFarlane). Group-wide functional leader of communications including responsibility for 70 staff in 34 countries in Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific.

Subsequently, Paul held senior corporate communications roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, as Chief Communications Officer at the Foxtel Group and Head of Communications and Engagement at EnergyAustralia.  He joined John Connolly and Partners in 2024. 

Paul has extensive experience in financial and investor communications, including financial results announcements, shareholder meetings and mergers and acquisitions in Australia and Asia. He has deep expertise in issues and crisis management and in media relations in Australia and internationally.

At ANZ, he established its ground-breaking social and digital strategy, including the launch of its award-winning digital content Bluenotes. Paul led its social media engagement strategy and executive influencer programs on Facebook, LinkedIn and X, and employee social media activation and advocacy. More recently, his experience has included an advisory role to We Are Social, a global socially-led creative agency.

Paul is known for his integrated approach to communications across stakeholder groups, including employee communications, having led innovative internal communications programs for major cultural change initiatives, employee engagement programs and major change programs. He has also worked closely with marketing teams to integrate media and stakeholder communications in support of brands and to develop and launch new corporate identities at ANZ and the Foxtel Group.

He was Trustee of the Page Society, the New York-based professional association for chief communications officers from 2018 to 2022 including Co-Chair of the Page Society Globalisation Committee and Country Chair for Australia. The Page Society’s mission is to strengthen the enterprise leadership role of the Chief Communications by embracing the highest professional standards, advancing the way communications is understood, practiced and taught.

Paul graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Economics.