Suffolk Show President 2010 is appointed

George Paul was today appointed President for this year’s Suffolk Show to be held on June 2nd and 3rd. The announcement was made at the Annual General Meeting of the Suffolk Agricultural Association held at the show’s site at Trinity Park.

It is the second time that the former Chief Executive of Pauls, the feed suppliers, has held the position, the previous time was in 1994.

He takes over from Felixstowe farmer Mike Hollingsworth who wished him well in the position that he had enjoyed every second of in 2009.

Speaking about the role, George said:”I have always loved exhibiting at the Suffolk Show and am full of admiration for this fantastic organisation, particularly the Show where over 400 people give their services voluntarily to this wonderful event. I was honoured to be asked to be president for the second time; I enjoyed the first time enormously, but I am looking forward to the second even more.”

The Paul family have a long tradition with the show. Both Mr Paul’s grandfather Stuart and father William were presidents in 1945 and 1979 and the family exhibited all three suffolk breeds – Red Poll cattle, Suffolk horses and sheep.

Born in 1940 he joined the family firm of Pauls in 1952 as a trainee maltster, working as a maltings manager and manager of the company’s malt engineering department until the late 1960s. He became its chief executive in 1982 until its acquisition by Harrisons and Crosfield three years later when he became CEO of the new company and was its non-executive chairman from May 1994 until September 1997.

Simultaneously he was appointed chairman of the then Norwich Union of which he had been a non-executive since 1990. In May 2000 Norwich Union merged with CGU and he became deputy chairman of the merged company now known as AVIVA until his retirement in December 2005.

He is currently non-executive chairman of Agricola Group Ltd, the parent company of BOCMPAULS Ltd, non-executive chairman of JP Morgan Overseas Investment Trust plc and non-executive chairman of Notcutts Ltd.

He is a past president of the National Pig Breeders Association, the Suffolk Horse Society and former chairman of the Jockey Club Estates Ltd, the company that owns and operates the race horse training grounds in Newmarket.

Married to Maggie, he has two sons, one daughter, one stepson and stepdaughter and lives near Wherstead.