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Paul Ayoub Named to the Boston Business Journal’s “Power 50 for 2020: Extraordinary Year, Extraordinary People”
Print PDFPaul Ayoub, a partner and member of Nutter’s Executive Committee, has been recognized as one of the “Power 50 for 2020: Extraordinary Year, Extraordinary People” by the Boston Business Journal. Paul was selected for his leadership in the Boston business community in the face of extraordinary challenges this year. The Boston Business Journal will celebrate Paul and the other honorees at a virtual event on November 4.
Paul, an impactful business leader, has helped to address many of the major issues facing our region. He is a dedicated, passionate, and effective champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with a proven record of driving meaningful results in advancing DEI in the Boston business community.
Under Paul’s leadership as Chair of the Board of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber developed a strategic plan focused on key issues for the region, including transportation, housing, health care, economic opportunity, education, and climate readiness. With this plan in place, the Chamber has become an increasingly bold voice in Greater Boston, including with respect to the development of inclusive programming and effective policy advocacy for women and people of color.
In 2019, the NAACP Boston honored the Chamber for its efforts with the Corporate Leadership Award. At the end of his term, Paul was recognized for his “commitment to both elevating the voice of the Chamber as an advocate for the economic competitiveness of our region and for welcoming more women and people of color onto the Chamber Board, more than ever before in its history.”
Paul has played an active role in responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his role with the Chamber, Paul serves on Boston Mayor Walsh’s Reopening Advisory Board. He is also among the group of business leaders serving on the Steering Committee that supported the launch and development of Small Business Strong, a nonprofit created to assist, without cost, minority- and women-owned small businesses in navigating the pandemic’s devasting impact. Paul also co-chairs Nutter’s COVID-19 Task Force.
As with the Chamber, as President of the Board of the Real Estate Finance Association, Paul led the effort to transform the REFA Board to become meaningfully diverse. Under Paul’s tenure, REFA diversified its membership and program panels and strengthened its Women’s Series, Mentor Program and Emerging Leaders Program, leading to a significant increase in sponsors and members.
As REFA Board President, Paul led the Greater Boston Real Estate Board in adopting its first Diversity and Inclusion Policy on behalf of each of its five divisions:
-Building Owners and Management Association,
-Commercial Brokers Association,
-Massachusetts Apartment Association,
-Greater Boston Association of Realtors, and
-REFA.
To address the lack of diversity within the broader commercial real estate industry, Paul has helped to organize a steering committee among the leaders of nine of the region’s commercial real estate trade groups to collaboratively drive DEI in the industry as a whole.
Paul serves on the national Board of Directors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. He has served as chair of the ALSAC Board and is currently vice-chair of the St. Jude Board.
In recognition of his impact and contributions, Paul recently was honored with the Distinguished Graduate Award from Noble and Greenough School. Prior recipients have included a former U.S. Senator, Massachusetts Governor, president of Harvard University, publisher of The Boston Globe, justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and CEOs of Mobil Oil and Textron.
Paul's statement on leadership:
Now more than ever, leadership requires empathy, humility, compassion and integrity. It also requires a commitment to making meaningful change. Each of us can be a leader, regardless of title or position. When we actively listen and learn, when we support and advocate for those around us, even at our own personal and professional cost, especially with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion, we inspire others to do the same through our accountable actions.
