Educated in the UK, USA and China, Simon speaks Mandarin. He moved to Tokyo as General Manager of P&O Japan before being seconded to Mitsui & Co trading house and later appointed Chief Representative for P&O in Shanghai. In these roles he worked across shipping, construction, exhibition and travel businesses, leading market entry, transactions, JV formation, team building, growth programmes and government relations. In 2000 he became President, Greater China for Corning, the Fortune 500 technology company, leading high-tech innovation and manufacturing businesses in optical fibre, LCD glass and pollution control devices.

Since 2009, Simon has pursued a portfolio career in healthcare, environmental technologies and education. He has held main board or China board positions with organisations including Huma Therapeutics, Healthily AI, Sinophi Healthcare, Modern Water China, Xeros Technology Group, Laticrete China, Huaxin Cement, Wellington China and BE Education. He has also worked as a Venture Partner with Simon Murray Capital, as China Adviser to Cinven and as APAC Adviser to Old Mutual Global Investors, and is an early-stage investor in digital health and audio technology. Listening and mentoring of senior executives and founders are central strands of his work.

Alongside his commercial roles, Simon has a long record of community and cultural engagement. His charity work has included foster care with Care for Children and sports for the disabled with the Shanghai Disabled Association. He founded eight international and bilingual schools, chaired the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai, and has served in arts governance roles with the Liverpool Biennial and with Shakespeare’s Globe. He is currently Managing Director, Asia, for Innit Audio AB.