Paul joined Sasol in 1964 at Sigma Colliery (Sasolburg), progressing through various leadership roles to become Managing Director of the Sasol Group (1987–1996). He served as Non-Executive Chairman of Sasol Limited (1996–2005) and was appointed Non-Executive Director of Absa in 1997. He held several chairmanships, including Sasol subsidiaries, the CSIR, Business South Africa, the Industrial Environmental Forum, and the Council (later Chancellor) of Rand Afrikaans University. He also served on the Board of Governors of the SA Foundation and was a member of the King II Commission on Corporate Governance.