Paul has 20 years’ experience as a social researcher and specialises in social trends research and forecasting. He set up Trajectory in September 2008. 

Before Trajectory Paul was Managing Director of Opinion Leader Research and Chief Executive of the Future Foundation. His career has also taken in roles at BBC News (where he was Head of Analysis & Research and a member of the News Editorial Board, the senior editorial policy forum within BBC News), Consumer’s Association (as Research Director) and Henley Centre for Forecasting (Director).

Paul has a long standing interest in ‘myths of social decline’ (the assertion that various aspects of modern life are getting worse, when the best social research data would suggest the opposite is true. In January this year, Paul recorded a programme for Radio 4’s Four Thought series where he argued that, in most respects, it there has never been a better time to be a child in the UK.