Dedicated in textile, his mid-sized factories were located at the east side of São Paulo – one at Ipiranga, another at Mooca and one at Belenzinho.

The arrival of the Koreans in Brazil and the downfall of his company's products competitivity caused him to feel the necessity of a drastic measure and redirection of his business.

On September 27, 2004, he was elected, in his first mandate, as the President at Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo, at Ciesp, at Sesi-SP, at Senai-SP, and for the Instituto Roberto Simonsen (IRS).

[3] Skaf also actively worked on tax exemption, debureaucratization of processes, increasing the investments of infrastructure, and expanding external markets.

In 2009, one of the most successful actions of Paulo Skaf was the decrease of 30% over spreads, easing the obtainment of bank credit, therefore, generating employment and production.

Another highlight was the leadership at FIESP, defending the receipt, from exporters, of credits related to the legal reimbursement of IPI provided at external sales.

From June 2011 to April 2012, the FIESP promoted a strong mobilization towards the provisional measure to put an end to the port war, resolution nº 72, and that it should be approved by the senate.

This measure proposed the annulment of tax breaks over imported products via discount over the Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadoria e Serviços (ICMS) putting an end to the so-called port war.

After two years of fighting, it was enacted in 2013 the law that deprives taxation of social security contributions of employers in certain sectors, calculated over the payroll, which creates less pressure on the costs of those who produce and more jobs for those who work.

Also in 2013, FIESP and CIESP were able to stop the IPTU's increase of an average of 55% in the residences and 88% in the commerce in the city of São Paulo, which was well above the readjustment of the workers in the period, with a preliminary injunction in justice.

In addition to the business, Skaf was distinguished by his leadership as a leader of entities in the sector, such as the Sinditêxtil and the Associação Brasileira da Indústria Têxtil e de Confecção (ABIT).

Aside from this, Skaf also worked to tax exemptions, to debureaucratize processes, to increase investments in infrastructure, to expand foreign markets (created the "Business Diplomacy").