Paul also spent a number of years working for the Royal Australian Navy, which included two years as the Navy Language Manager – a position he was particularly well equipped for after his time as Deputy Air Force Language Manager.

After finishing his time as Managing Editor of the Air Force publication The Linguist Loop, Paul founded Yarning: The language and culture magazine, serving as its Editor-in-Chief under the Defence Languages Capability Cell. During his secondment with this Cell, Paul also created the former Defence Language & Culture Portal – a repository of all things related to Defence language capability.

When he first stepped into the Defence languages space in 2021, Paul quickly became aware of the need for greater levels of advocacy and support for linguists, leading to extensive engagement with Defence members on how to best meet this need. As a result, he realised an association dedicated to achieving this mission was required, and the idea for the Australian Veterans Linguist Association (AVLA) was born.

In 2022, Paul worked to create the First Nations Languages Capability Committee, which became an official sub-committee of the Indigenous Cultural Advisory Group in 2024. He is also a founding member of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Veterans Association and currently serves as their Director of Communications.

At present, Paul works for the ADF Reserves and Employer Support Directorate as their Strategic Engagement Manager, where he is focused on increasing engagement with reservists and their employers to achieve optimal outcomes both within their military roles and civilian lives. 

As an autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic individual, with a developmental language disorder to boot, he is deeply driven by the desire to continually innovate, create, and to make the lives of everyone around him better through the resources and initiatives he is involved with. He believes that accessibility is a right, and that there are many valid ways to learn, communicate, and interact with the world.

Paul is a strong advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices and policies, mental health support that works, and greater understanding and accessibility within the legal system. His lived experiences with chronic pain, mental health, and neurodiversity have provided him with key insights into the importance of community and connection. His hope is that AVLA will provide a vital and inclusive space for all veteran linguists, no matter their brain, background, or experience.

Follow Paul on LinkedIn.