Paul Cheal

Paul Cheal

Paul Cheal is the CEO of The Big Issue Group, a position he assumed in October 2020. His professional journey prior to this role was significantly shaped by his extensive experience in the media industry. Before joining The Big Issue, Cheal served as the managing director for Hearst UK’s lifestyle division, where he was instrumental in overseeing a diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands and driving significant business transformations. His tenure at Hearst equipped him with robust skills in strategic leadership, business development, and digital transformation, which he has effectively brought to his role at The Big Issue.

At The Big Issue Group, Paul Cheal has been at the forefront of steering the organization through challenging times, especially amid the global pandemic. His leadership has focused on reinforcing the organization’s mission to dismantle poverty through innovative social trading and business solutions. Under his guidance, The Big Issue has continued to provide opportunities for marginalized communities, expanding its impact and reach. Cheal’s vision and commitment to social enterprise are evident in his efforts to drive sustainable growth and create lasting change for those facing homelessness and poverty.

Biography

I became Big Issue Group CEO in October 2020, having previously Chaired The Big Issue Company and worked on a consultancy basis with the Group Board. I am a Director of the Big Issue Company, Big Issue Recruit, our digital first recruitment business for marginalised people, and the Big Issue Changing Lives CIC.

I have overseen the re-positioning and re-invigoration of Big Issue’s brand and mission so that we can more effectively ‘Change lives through enterprise’ through a range of impact-based B2B and D2C social businesses.

Prior to this I consulted for a variety of organsiations. I advised Bandlab on the acquisition of NME and Uncut, as well as management structure for their UK launch. I also consulted on Eurostar’s digital strategy as well as media strategy at Citizens Advice. I continue to work as an adviser to start-ups such as Thermify, a revolutionary new approach to green energy.

I have spent a large part of my career at Time Inc. As a Group Managing Director, I was part of the UK Executive Team that successfully divested the business to private equity. I specialised in markets disrupted by digital, including music, fashion and celebrity, using brand equity to develop and deliver new products and services across multiple platforms and revenue lines including retail, subscription, branded content, advertising, licensing, syndication and affiliates. This included the launch of NME TV and NME Radio, as well as scaling NME.COM.

I also initiated and led the Time Inc UK Lab dedicated to rapid product innovation, resulting in two major industry Awards (BMA and PPA product teams of the year).

Big Issue Group

The Big Issue Group is a growing social enterprise and B-corp. Founded in 1991, today we are needed more than ever. We exist as a social business to create impact and make a profit, always re-investing this profit back into extending our mission, to help millions of people in the UK affected by poverty to earn, learn and thrive.

The Big Issue Group brings together our media, investment, service and campaigning initiatives under a shared mission to create innovative solutions through enterprise, to unlock social and economic opportunity for the millions of people in the UK living in poverty. By 2027, we are aiming to have 11million people every year engage with our products and services. Join us and be part of our solution to change lives

Over the years, The Big Issue has expanded its reach and impact. It now operates in multiple countries, including Australia, South Africa, and Japan, each with its own local editions tailored to address the unique challenges of homelessness in those regions. The magazine covers a wide range of topics, from social issues and culture to politics and entertainment, aiming to raise awareness and inspire change. Beyond the magazine, The Big Issue Group also encompasses initiatives like Big Issue Invest, which provides financial support to social enterprises and charities working to tackle poverty and inequality. This multifaceted approach underscores The Big Issue’s commitment to addressing the root causes of homelessness and creating lasting solutions.

Our Impact

We have identified 5 impact pillars that we believe are vital to dismantling poverty in the UK, these provide a foundation and focus for all work delivered across the Big Issue Group:

• Learning & Employment: Investing in education and skills, results in higher and more stable and secure employment, higher earnings and less exposure to low income and poverty.
• Housing: Secure housing is an important step in creating a stable environment to move forward and rebuild peoples lives.
• Health & Wellbeing: Poverty causes ill health, drives inequality in health outcomes and increases the use of health services. It’s expensive keeping people poor, with indirect costs to the state and lost opportunity and productivity.
• Environment & Community: Community initiatives at a local level to improve our environment and combat inequality.
• Financial & Digital Inclusion: We must ensure we equip everyone with basic financial and digital skills, alongside access to the internet, communication and bank accounts, critical to driving inclusion and enable earning and employment.

Every year we publish a report detailing the impact across the Big Issue Group.