When we think of leaders, we think of Paul…

A little bit of background about our Founding Director and this year’s ‘Business Leader of the Year’ finalist…

(This isn’t Paul’s first rodeo – back in 2018 he and the team at WFP won ‘Employer of the Year’ at the FSB Awards and in 2022 won ‘Fire Protection Service of the Year’ at The Prestige Awards!)

Paul started in the Navy in 1986 as a young man looking for purpose, and what better character-building could a young person starting out have asked for?

Paul joined the fire-fighting team in the Navy and it was here that he realised he had a real interest in fire safety.

Following leaving the Navy, and working for a few leading names in the fire alarm manufacturing world, he decided to set up shop on his own.

Paul largely puts that bold decision down to his experience in the Navy, which gave him the determination to soldier on through all of the teething problems and learning curves that inevitably come through starting up your own business.

He knew all too well that answers don’t just arrive, but come through getting your hands dirty, reading many points of view, listening and learning from people in all walks of life, and also being able to get up when you’ve been knocked down a peg or two.

Paul called it ‘WFP’ because at the time when he started the business back in 2003, the niche in our industry with wireless fire alarms, which he wanted to innovatively tap into. Therefore ‘Wire-Free Protection’ was born.

Nearly 20 years on, Paul’s innovative muscle and determination is still going strong with the recent expansion of our business to include an electrical division, offering futureproofing electric vehicle charging point installations, sustainable LED lighting upgrades, down to your regular obligatory electrical testing.

This expansion was during the pandemic when everyone questioned his decision to invest in a new arm for the business, rather than pocketing that money for the rainy day that had come for us all.

Paul’s unwavering belief in his own vision is already paying off with a division that just two years in is proving to be a titan next to its 18-year-old sister company.

Paul is innovative, inspirational and a true leader.

It doesn’t matter what background you come from, you’ll be a fire safety nerd in no time and, what’s more, you’ll want to be.

Mere exposure to his knowledge and his infectious enthusiasm about this ever-evolving industry is what makes everyone admire his ethos, methods and business style.

It’s a real winner for our customers because they know they’re working with people who are truly invested in the nuts and bolts of what makes up a building’s safety infrastructure; and when you know someone believes in what they do, you know they’re going to do the job right, and make you feel great whilst they’re doing it.

WFP might be an SME, but because of our reputation and the customer-centred, employee-focused culture Paul’s nurtured (and continues to nurture), we’re taking business away from some of the biggest names in the industry. 

Behind us sits a modest team of 17, not 1,700, but people regularly comment on us having the polished aesthetic of a larger, cohesive brand (well, we definitely are cohesive).

Paul’s leadership shines through more than just because of his years of experience in the fire and security industry, and more than just because of how he treats his customers and his team members.

Paul’s wife, Mel, spent three years on the waiting list for a heart transplant, having lived with heart issues pretty much her whole life. Finally in 2021, Mel got her new heart, which followed with various complications and invasive treatments to ensure her body would take to this foreign organ that is ultimately designed to give her a new lease of life.

Juggling two daughters and a business, Paul cared for his wife; trekking back and forth to Papworth in Cambridge for Mel’s visits, changing her bandages and offering hands-on support when Mel needed it most, and so much more that no one will really ever know or appreciate – all whilst never failing to be his usual chirpy self when he makes it back to the office.

Their daughters and chosen family at WFP marvel at both Mel’s resilience and Paul’s tenacity to run a successful, growing business alongside all of these personal feats.

Having your team’s back is something Paul knows all too well about from his Navy days, and that influence definitely permeates through to the ethos and culture he strives for in his business.