Paul Zahra has spent his career leading through disruption - as CEO of David Jones, head of the Australian Retailers Association during Covid, board director and founder of the Pinnacle Foundation. In this conversation, Paul reflects on what crisis reveals about leadership, governance and values.

He discusses why visibility matters in the boardroom, particularly for LGBTQIA+ leaders, and how boards can move beyond tokenism to genuine inclusion. Paul also unpacks the chair's role in setting culture, managing diverse voices and balancing social impact with fiduciary responsibility.

Drawing on his experiences across ASX companies, private equity and not-for-profits, Paul shares practical lessons on transformation, stakeholder management and why disruption - from digital to AI - should be treated as an opportunity, not a threat. It's a candid discussion about values under pressure, inclusive leadership and what modern boards need to get right.

Key Takeaways:

Visibility and leadership — why representation at board and CEO level matters for aspiration, pipelines and culture.
Beyond gender diversity — inclusion across sexuality, disability and lived experience as a source of better governance.
The chair's role in inclusion — setting tone, managing board dynamics, and creating psychological safety.
Values in practice — when leaders should speak publicly, how to weigh risk, and aligning social impact with strategy.
Crisis leadership — lessons from retail transformation, Covid and sector-wide disruption.
Governance across contexts — ASX companies, private equity, not-for-profits and where boards succeed or fail.

S3E10 - Visibility, Values and the Boardroom: Former David Jones CEO Paul Zahra on Inclusive Leadership

Boardroom Confidential

S3E10 - Visibility, Values and the Boardroom: Former David Jones CEO Paul Zahra on Inclusive Leadership