UK-China and China business
Since going to live in Shanghai in 1985, Simon has worked for UK, US and Chinese companies. His business building and board experience spans over 36 years of working in and with China across the services, manufacturing and technology sectors, for multinationals and SME’s. Living through China’s remarkable transformation since the 1980’s has provided many challenges and opportunities in working with people, innovation and change.
As Chief Representative for P&O in Shanghai from 1995 Simon worked with shipping, construction, exhibition and travel agency businesses on market entry, deals, building teams, business growth, government relations and joint ventures. From 2000 to 2009 as President of Greater China region for US Fortune 500 company Corning Incorporated, he worked in high tech and manufacturing, including optical fibre and cable, LCD glass and automotive and power station pollution control devices.
Since 2009 Simon has held a portfolio of Chairman, Director and Advisor roles with UK and Chinese companies in the environmental, education and healthcare sectors. Major strands of his work are strategy, mentoring of CEO’s and senior managers, intellectual property, cross-cultural management and governance. He is an early-stage investor in digital healthcare and he worked in venture capital as a Venture Partner with Simon Murray Capital, in private equity as China Adviser/Asia Strategy Board member with Cinven and in fund management as China Adviser with Jupiter Asset Management.
In addition to Chairman and Director roles in P&O and Corning companies and in a dozen joint ventures, Simon’s main board and China board work with western and Chinese companies has included: Modern Water China (water technologies), Aggreko China (rental power), Sinophi Healthcare (hospitals), Huma Therapeutics (remote patient monitoring), BE Education (schools and tutoring), Huaxin Cement (Shanghai listed Chinese cement and environmental company), SMN (audio technology) and Xeros Technology Group China (polymer technologies).
Simon’s community and charity work includes foster care with Care for Children and sports for the disabled with Shanghai Disabled Association. In education he founded 8 international and bilingual schools in China and he served as Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai. In the arts he was a non-executive Director of the Liverpool Biennial and he is currently a Trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. In 2013 he was appointed OBE for services to UK-China business and charity. In 2019 he received a China Friendship Award, the highest award given to foreign nationals for contributions to China, for his environmental and education work.
Simon is an Honorary Citizen of Shanghai, speaks Mandarin and lives in London and Shanghai.
