In this episode of the Leader U Podcast, titled “The Art of Negotiation – Strategies for Success,” Angie Lion of Black River Performance Management and Paul Baker, CEO of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber discuss negotiation, a skill crucial for leaders in any field. Together they discuss the fundamental principles of effective negotiation.
Paul, a seasoned negotiator, shares his journey, recounting tales from his childhood and early life that unknowingly laid the foundation for his negotiation skills. He reveals how these early interactions shaped his approach to negotiation. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, “The Art of Negotiation – Strategies for Success” is packed with practical advice, insightful strategies, and inspiring stories to enhance your negotiation skills. Tune in to transform the way you negotiate and lead.
Paul was born in Dublin Ireland in 1980 to a typical large Irish family, his father was 1 of 18 children and his
mother was 1 of 9. His father was an engineer and designed rollercoasters, drop tower rides. Paul got the entrepreneurial bug at 12 years of age, creating newspaper delivery routes to large Industrial Estates around Dublin City. He sold it when he was 16 for $90k when he and his family moved to the UK. Paul then worked at his fathers theme park until he graduated high school.
In 2019 Paul left the family theme park business to pursue a career in Music. He played principle guitar for Grease ‘The Musical’ in the West End, London and played session guitar for Virgin EMI working with several artists including Neil Finn/Crowded House and Dolly Parton.
In 2001 Paul put the guitar aside and focused on a career in Social Work. He trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Body Language, Conflict Resolution & served on a joint agency taskforce to prosecute child sex offenders. Paul also wrote the white paper for the Children’s Act and served on the UK UN Human Rights of the Child Committee.
In 2010 Paul married Laura Baker, they have 3 children. Laura’s father is the former US Ambassador to France, she grew up living in various countries around the world due to her fathers work as a diplomat. Laura and Paul first met as children during her fathers station in Ireland.
That same year, Paul was headhunted by UPS to work on improving dysfunctional and underperforming teams. His work created an additional $2bn in profits. In 2011 UPS sponsored $50m for the London 2012 Olympic Games, included in that deal was Paul. He was placed as Head of Logistics and Infrastructure and oversaw the deployment of $16bn to develop and operate the games.
After the Olympics, Paul became Executive Director of an Investment Bank called Rocksteady, facilitating over $20bn of acquisitions across a variety of sectors including energy, natural resources, technology, resort development , English Premier League Clubs and more.
In August of 2021 Paul exited from his day to day work to focus on his wife’s health and move to Idaho Falls. In May 2022 Paul was appointed as the President/CEO of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce utilizing his experience across multiple sectors to focus on the economic growth of the Idaho Falls area.
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