Mingara CEO Reveals Why It’s Time to Retire

After announcing earlier this year that he’s hanging up the boots in early 2026, Paul says that the death of his father was the catalyst for bringing about thoughts about retirement.

“I got jolted into it a little bit when my father passed away… I just thought gee whiz you never know when the clock is going to stop,” says Paul in the latest episode of the ClubLIFE Podcast released today.

“I don’t want to be the footballer that plays a season too long, I don’t want to be the boxer that has one fight too many and the organisation is in a good position.

“There are lots of things I want to do in my life that don’t necessarily involve working full time — it’s a stressful job, being a CEO is stressful, people don’t always see it, it never leaves your mind, you never stop thinking about work, so when I lost my dad I was conscious the clock ticks on.”

In March, Mingara Leisure Group announced that Paul had given notice of his intention to retire after more than two decades at the organisation, and will depart in January 2026. The Group’s long-serving Chief Operating Officer, Grant Gladman, will assume the CEO role from February.

In a wide-ranging interview on the ClubLIFE Podcast, Paul shares memories from his early days auditing clubs while working for what is now Liquor & Gaming NSW, the lessons he’s learnt through seven amalgamation processes at Mingara and what he sees as some of the long-term challenges facing the industry.

He also discusses his 13-year tenure on the ClubsNSW Board, between 2010 and 2023, and what he sees as the benefits of having a mix of both club directors and CEOs on the Board of the peak industry body.

“We provide the balance of the actual impact on the ground when the Board of ClubsNSW makes a decision — what is the impact as a manager for the people on the front line,” says Paul.

“I think we provide that little bit of balance… we just have a different view of the world to what a club director does and I think we need that as a Board.

“So, I was glad when Rob Smith joined the Board and then to replace me when Grant Easterby came on the Board I thought they were very, very clever appointments to the Board.”

And Paul says serving as a Director on the ClubsNSW Board provided him with an opportunity to become a better club CEO.

“I felt it was important for me to see the world through the eyes of a director because it helps you be a better CEO, because you understand what they’re looking for and what they’re not looking for and what they should be doing and what they shouldn’t be doing,” he says.

Click on the link below to hear the full interview with Paul Barnett in the seventeenth episode of the ClubLIFE Podcast, which is also available via ClubLIFE.com.au, Apple, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.

If you have a suggestion on who might make an interesting guest for a future ClubLIFE Podcast episode, get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].