Paul Gilham MCIPR began his career in print journalism. He spent the next dozen years as a local newspaper reporter and editor, before joining the public sector as a communications and engagement specialist.

This new direction brought Paul to work as a principal officer at a London borough council. He liaised with and supported the community, council colleagues and elected representatives as they tackled major changes in demography, politics and budget.

For the final 18 months of his five years at the council, Paul was the sole internal communications adviser to the chief executive and directors overseeing a workforce of 3,000. It was rewarding work, but with a daily commute into London becoming difficult after the birth of his son, Paul sought employment a little closer to the family home in Essex.

He was soon offered the role of communications and engagement manager at one of the county’s clinical commissioning groups, which were created by the Health Act 2012 to oversee local NHS services. He and his team were responsible for giving 420,000 patients and their community representatives a voice in how healthcare was delivered and where changes were needed, winning several national awards for their publicity campaigns.

Then, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Paul became one of the non-clinical key workers ensuring the national vaccination programme was properly explained to those hundreds of thousands of residents, building trust in and improving takeup of the emerging vaccines for the coronavirus.

Further NHS reorganisation between 2023 and 2025 offered the opportunity to take up a new challenge. Seizing it, Paul joined East Anglia RFCA—also based in Essex—as its communications manager and is now Head of Engagement, where he puts his 25 years’ professional experience to work in connecting Defence with society.

Paul holds a Professional PR Diploma, the highest qualification certified by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, of which he is a member.

He passed the Regular Commissions Board—now known as the Army Officer Selection Board—in Westbury just weeks after his 18th birthday, following which he studied first law, then journalism, and, incongruously, parking notice processing.