Paul Shannon has extensive managerial and executive experience, working primarily in financial and commercial roles.
He was a senior executive at Rio Tinto, including eight years as chief financial officer of iron ore, and his accountabilities were expanded to include business development and strategy. Mr Shannon began his career with Rio Tinto in 1995 with Hamersley Iron in Tom Price, and has subsequently held a variety of financial positions in the iron ore product group and the corporate controllers function in London, including three years supporting Rio Tinto's global copper group. He was also the general manager of commercial with responsibility for finance, joint venture management, compliance, IS&T, insurance and risk management. Before joining Rio Tinto, Mr Shannon worked for the West Australian Government in the Office of the Auditor General.
Mr Shannon joined the WA Symphony Orchestra in October 2013 as a board member, became interim chief executive in May 2020, and was formally appointed chief executive in July 2021.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and is a member of CPA Australia.
