Paul Donahue, '78
2023 Heritage Honours Awards | Alumni Achievement Award Winner
This award recognizes the significant professional accomplishments of UNI graduates.
Paul Donahue, a UNI management alum, has obtained extraordinary professional achievements since his time at UNI and is highly deserving of recognition.
After college, Paul spent many years in businesses that took him all over the country. In 2003, he joined the Genuine Parts Company as an executive vice president and was appointed chairman and CEO in 2019, a title he still holds today. Genuine Parts Company is in the top 200 largest publicly traded companies in the United States, with sales of $18.9 billion in 2021 and 10,000 locations in 15 countries. Notably, Genuine Parts Company is the parent company for Napa Auto Parts, one of the largest auto parts dealers in the United States. During Paul’s tenure as CEO, they have set to have the best year in the company’s 93-year history.
In addition to exceptional professional work, Paul is very active in the Atlanta community, where he serves on the boards for the Trust Bank, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Carlyle Fraser Heart Center and the Shepherd Center. He was recently named one of the “Atlanta 500,” a list of influential leaders in the community as selected by Atlanta magazine.
Paul’s professional success and outstanding accomplishments serve as a tremendous example of what a UNI education can do for our graduates.
Paul Donahue, '78