Skip to content Experienced Chairman, Board Director And Author
Humans in
the boardroom.
Good governance matters. But boards are made up of people, and people are fallible. My writing explores how directors make decisions, why companies succeed and fail, and what boards can learn from human performance research to become more effective. Whether you’re a director, executive, investor or simply interested in how organisations really work, I hope you’ll find something here that changes the way you think about how boards really work. Sign up below to receive new articles as they are published.
Areas Of Expertise
Humans in the Boardroom
A new way of understanding how boards make decisions, why capable boards can fail, and how boards can improve their performance.
Corporate Failure
Lessons from collapse, crisis and recovery.
Board Effectiveness
Building high-performing boards that challenge, support and add value.
Corporate Governance
Practical governance beyond compliance.
Risk Management
Identifying and managing strategic risks.
Economics
Economic trends and their impact on business.
Books
Coming October 2026
A powerful new book with Stephen Jarvis, exploring the strategic, cultural and governance failures that destroy companies – and how boards can prevent them.
How to Get In, Get On and Make A Difference
Practical advice for anyone who want to join a board, contribute effectively and make a lasting impact on the boardroom.
ABOUT SIMON
Championing human performance in the boardroom
Over 35 years of experience as a Chairman and board director has convinced me that understanding how people behave in the boardroom is just as important as corporate governance.
Professional Background
I have been a FTSE-100 CFO, chairman and director of FTSE-250, main UK market, AIM, private equity and Japanese-listed companies. He is a qualified accountant, pilot and graduate of Cambridge University.
Published Works
This website brings together my books, articles and thoughts on helping boards make better decisions. Why Companies Fail is a new book, published in October this year, which brings together my experience on boards with Stephen Jarvis’s expertise in human performance and psychology to challenge the whole way we think about how boards and corporate governance works. Behind Closed Doors is my first book, which is an invaluable, practical manual on how boards operate and how to be a successful board director.
Chairman
Public & Private Companies
Non-Executive Director
FTSE 250 & Private Equity
Former FTSE-100 CFO
Financial Leadership
Author & Commentator
Books, Articles, Media
Mentor & Speaker
Boards, Executives, Students
Latest Articles & Blog
Why do Capable Boards Fail?
After every corporate scandal, we blame individuals and rewrite the rules. But what if we’re
Serving in the Boardroom
I play social tennis, mostly old-man doubles. It is friendly rather than fiercely competitive, though
Not so pretty Polly
In the late 1980s, Polly Peck International was the City’s “wonder stock”. Analysts reportedly adorned
NEW BOOK PUBLISHED 1 OCTOBER – Why Companies Fail
Every major corporate scandal follows a familiar script. A company fails; lives are damaged, fortunes