Paul Little (businessman)
Paul Alexander Little | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Managing director of Toll Holdings (1985–2011), chairman of Essendon Football Club (2013–2015) |
| Notable work | Growth and expansion of Toll Holdings; founder of Little Projects; proprietor of Little Aviation |
Paul Alexander Little is a prominent Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He held the position of managing director at Toll Holdings, a leading logistics provider in Australasia, from 1985 until his retirement in 2011, marking a 26-year tenure.
Career
Little's professional journey has been closely tied to the transportation sector, starting at Mayne Nickless where he advanced to the role of national operations manager for Seapak Transport Services. Subsequently, during his consultancy role with Peko-Wallsend, he played a key part in assessing and orchestrating the acquisition of Toll, which later developed into a significant Australian transport services company.
Toll Holdings
In 1985, Little joined forces with businessmen Peter Rowsthorn, his son Mark Rowsthorn, and Lyall McLachlan to execute a management buyout of Toll Holdings. The company was publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1993.
Under Little’s guidance, Toll expanded from a modest fleet of 18 trucks valued at $1.5 million into a global logistics powerhouse worth $3.8 billion, employing 45,000 staff across 50 countries. This remarkable growth positioned Little among Australia’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
Between 1989 and 2000, Little pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, averaging two company purchases annually. Significant transactions included the 1997 acquisition of eight TNT transport and logistics businesses for $145 million, followed by the $120 million takeover of competitor Finemores in 2000.
Additionally, Little spearheaded Toll’s diversification efforts into technology services, wine logistics, rail freight operations, and cargo shipping industries.
Little Projects
In 2011, Little established Little Projects, a property development and management firm providing comprehensive services for residential and commercial real estate transactions. The enterprise grew through the acquisition of three LJ Hooker franchises and currently oversees several Melbourne developments with a combined value exceeding 1 billion.
Other business interests
Little is also the proprietor of Little Aviation, an aviation charter service which, as of 2013, operated a $65 million Gulfstream G650ER jet supported by a team of three pilots.
Sports management
Little’s engagement with Australian professional sports began in motor racing. He sponsored John Sidney Racing and Anthony Tratt’s Porsche team, which evolved into V8 Supercars under the name Paul Little Racing. The team competed for eight seasons before disbanding in 2005. Although an active competitor himself, Toll Holdings’ board members advised him against continuing due to safety concerns.
On 29 July 2013, Little was appointed chairman of the Essendon Football Club competing in the AFL, succeeding David Evans. His nearly two-and-a-half-year leadership coincided with the club’s challenging supplements scandal. Little stepped down on 14 December 2015 shortly before the final guilty verdict was announced and was succeeded by Lindsay Tanner.
Awards and honours
- Recipient of the CA/Zurich Business Leader Award in 2002
- Honoured with the first-ever Trans-Tasman Business Leader Award in 2005
- Conferred a Doctor of Business honoris causa by RMIT University in 2008
- Designated as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2010 for outstanding contributions to transport and logistics, demonstrating strategic leadership, commitment to corporate social and environmental responsibility, and philanthropic involvement in sports and medical research initiatives
Additionally, Little holds Fellowships with both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT).
Personal life
Little is married to Jane Hansen, a former investment banker, who is his second spouse. In 2002, the couple acquired the Toorak estate Coonac for close to 15 million AUD, setting a price record at that time. His first wife, Shirley, passed away from cancer in 1992. Little is a father to three children.
Their joint philanthropy primarily supports education, theatre arts, and addiction recovery programs. In 2015, Little and Hansen founded The Hansen Trust with an initial donation of 10 million AUD from the Hansen Little Foundation to the University of Melbourne, aimed at advancing history education. In 2018, they extended their support with an additional contribution of 30 million AUD to the same institution.
Net worth
| Year | Financial Review Rich List |
Forbes Australia's 50 Richest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Net worth (AUD) | Rank | Net worth (USD) | |
| 2013 | $0.88 billion | |||
| 2014 | Template:Nts | |||
| 2015 | Template:Nts 
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$0.82 billion 
| ||
| 2016 | Template:Nts
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$0.83 billion
| ||
| 2017 | $0.927 billion | |||
| 2018 | Template:Nts
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$1.54 billion
|
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| 2019 | Template:Nts
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$1.77 billion
|
Template:Nts Template:Loss | $0.95 billion
|
| 2020 | Template:Nts Template:Loss | $1.67 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2021 | Template:Nts Template:Loss | $1.71 billion
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| 2022 | Template:Nts Template:Loss | $1.80 billion Template:Loss | ||
| 2023 | Template:Nts Template:Loss | $1.83 billion
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| 2024 | Template:Nts
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$2.25 billion
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| Legend | |
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| Icon | Description |
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Unchanged compared to prior year |
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Increased relative to previous year |
| get=Template:Loss | Declined from previous year |