Bio

Simon is Chief Learning Officer at Novartis and best-selling author of the Amazon #1 hot new release ‘The Curious Advantage’. He is a commercially-minded learning leader with experience across a range of the World's leading organisations. Having co-founded Brightwave, one of the UK's leading e-Learning companies, Simon moved to Accenture to consult for companies including BT, BP, Microsoft and Canon. He then focused on the Banking industry, working with Barclays, HSBC and RBS. Following a series of projects with Lloyds, Simon moved over to deliver the Academy strategy he had designed. This role then developed into creating the business case for, and then leading the Bank-wide learning transformation. In 2020 Simon was awarded the Chief Learning Officer, Gold Strategy Award for his and his team's work at Novartis, building on his Silver Strategy Award in 2012 for his work at Lloyds Banking Group. In 2021 Novartis was recognised as the #3 company in the world for Talent Development in the ATD BEST Awards, as well as receiving multiple other awards and accolades. In 2013 Simon moved to Novartis global HQ in Switzerland, to set up the Learning Team in the Capability Building Academy, responsible for enhancing effectiveness of learning for the global pharma salesforce and commercial business. In 2016 he moved to the Drug Development world and created the cross-divisional 'Global Development University', before progressing in September 2017 to take over the Novartis-wide Learning CoE and Novartis Universities, and also define the strategy for Digital Capability Building. Simon also hosts, with his co-authors, the popular podcast The Curious Advantage, which is in the top 10% of podcasts globally, and has been in the Apple Management Podcasts Top 5 in 20 countries. He is a regular keynote speaker at events internationally. Member of World Economic Forum Chief Learning Officer Community, Cornerstone Executive Advisory Council, NIIT Customer Advisory Board. Specialties: Learning, strategy, digital, change, transformation, leadership, programme management, innovation -- Please note views and opinions expressed are my own and do not represent the views of Novartis --