Meet Paul Donaher
Paul Donaher is a global leader with a track record of growing and transforming organizations with creativity and innovation at their core. He combines strategic vision, operating excellence, and a creative mindset in how he works. His passion centers on creating exceptional work environments where people can thrive and bring their best selves to their work. His mission is to use his many years of leadership experience and operating success to create the next generation of thoughtful, wise, and successful leaders. Paul focuses on ensuring a high-performance, stimulating work culture through encouraging collaboration, motivating teams, and championing inclusion and diversity. He has held senior executive positions at Apple, Beats by Dre, and Sotheby’s. As an agency president and owner/partner, he has advised esteemed brands as diverse as Four Seasons Hotels, Goldman Sachs, Gap, and Harvard Business School.
Paul is goal-driven and leads with an empowering, humanistic approach – the hallmark of his success and the success of those he leads. His leadership style is described as authentic, focused, straightforward, fair, empathetic, and fun.
As senior managing director of MARCOM, Paul led the business side of Apple’s global marketing communications group with 1,200 employees across 12 countries. He fashioned an environment that ensured the flawless development and execution of Apple’s exceptional communications by creating an exceptional workplace. He drove the strategic planning process and created internal processes and ways of working across a complex, global network. Before joining MARCOM, he held a similar position at Apple’s Beats by Dre.
Paul served as president/partner at Laird+Partners, a global branding firm specializing in lifestyle brands with clients as diverse as Gap, Hilton Hotels, and Target. Paul played a key role in the sale of L+P to MDC Partners.
Before joining L+P, Paul was global head of strategy and marketing at Sotheby’s, Inc. He oversaw a global staff of professionals and divided his time between New York and London.
Paul was also a partner at Margeotes Fertitta Donaher & Weiss, a New York-based firm specializing in premium brand marketing and recognized as a leading creative powerhouse. He was instrumental in growing MFD&W from its entrepreneurial beginnings to becoming one of the most respected independent firms in the sector and helped ready the company for sale to MDC Partners.
Paul began his career as an analyst with Boston Consulting Group and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Paul is on the board of 3%, a leader in the fight for workplace diversity and inclusion, and he serves on the board of Openhouse, San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ senior living and community center. For several years, Paul served on the board of directors of the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ rights. Paul has also provided pro bono consulting to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors whose mission is “to create thoughtful, effective philanthropy.”
"I have known Paul for more than 25 years. During that time, he has excelled in leadership roles across an unusual diversity of creatively driven organizations. Paul's success as a leader across such a diverse range of businesses sets him apart. His exemplary track record is due in large part to his ability to connect with and inspire a diverse range of creative talent."
~ Brian Brooks | Former Chief Talent Officer, WPP and IPG ~