Paul Thoroughgood

Paul Thoroughgood

Leadership Empowerment Coach

Paul brings 27 years of frontline experience in the New Zealand Police, with a career built around precision, pressure, and performance. His leadership was forged in some of the most demanding environments — where failure wasn’t an option, and execution had to be immediate and exact.

After joining the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) in 1990, Paul was selected for the elite Special Tactics Group (STG) just a year later. Over the next 11 years, he operated at the highest level of tactical policing — responding to counter-terrorism threats, armed incidents, hostage situations, and high-risk emergency operations.

Promoted to Sergeant, Paul became one of two Team Leaders for the Southern STG, responsible for leading both pre-planned tactical operations and time-critical emergency responses. His role demanded calm leadership under pressure, strategic clarity in chaos, and the ability to bring teams together in high-stakes, uncertain environments.

Paul also worked alongside international tactical units across Australia and the Pacific, contributing to joint operations and knowledge-sharing with some of the world’s most experienced law enforcement teams.

At HALO, Paul brings this elite operational experience into leadership development — equipping leaders to think clearly, lead confidently, and execute precisely when the pressure is on. He embodies the HALO philosophy that leadership isn’t just learned — it’s executed.

His mindset is grounded in continuous growth. After retiring from the Police, he completed a building apprenticeship, showing his drive to stay sharp, adaptable, and grounded in action.

Paul is a disciplined, humble, and experienced leader — committed to helping others build the resilience, mindset, and tactical clarity required to lead in real-world pressure environments.