Introducing

Simon Gulliford

Highly respected academic, business leader, consultant and events speaker

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"He is one of the most electric presenters we know, a speaker whose timing, personality, and wit are guaranteed to win over any audience."

– Robert Goffee & Gareth Jones

About Simon

Simon is a highly respected figure across a multitude of industries and is a truly accomplished business consultant and compelling speaker.

He has enjoyed a highly successful and diverse career, beginning at the internationally renowned Hult Ashridge Executive Education. A highly respected senior executive spanning multiple business sectors, Simon’s previous positions and those he holds today reflect his work with FTSE 100 and 250 companies, AIM listings, privately owned and family businesses.

He has undertaken a range of consultancy projects with a number of leading UK companies that have proved highly effective and transformative.

When delivering lectures and speaking at events, his diverse experience, coupled with his self-effacing nature, gives him the credence to talk to audiences across a wide range of sectors. Open, relatable and engaging, he will share business scenarios and case studies along with amusing anecdotes about when things didn’t quite go to plan.

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“What could they be known for that could stand the test of time? To have the best carrier bag in London – resilient and well-made, so people would use them to carry their work stuff in. It then became permanent – and it’s still alive and kicking to this day!”

– Simon Gulliford

Speaking

Simon is a popular speaker for both business strategy by day and informing and entertaining after dinner. Having undertaken engagements across the globe and in conjunction with presidents and prime ministers, Simon holds his own.

Instilled in him at an early age with his journey through school in the Welsh mining valleys, Simon personifies a ‘can do’ attitude. He has a rare blend of confidence and modesty – which he uses to chime with his audience, both energising and empowering them.

Because he doesn’t rely on notes, Simon is completely engaged with the audience and has the flexibility to take his talks in different directions. He enjoys presenting to any cohort – from experienced professionals who are looking for a new outlook, to those who are starting their career journeys.

To find out more about Simon or if you are interested in contacting him for an upcoming event please contact us.

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Business Leader & Consultant

Working for directly for Chairman and Chief Executives at some of the UK’s most high-profile FTSE 100 businesses, Simon has developed a reputation for being a highly competent senior executive, who can be relied on for delivering complex and transformative business projects.

He has engaged on projects for international airline operators, global finance organisations, high street retailers, leading automotive brands as well as publishers of the UK’s most popular magazines.

It is this diversity of experience coupled with clear strategic thinking that makes him a much sought-after executive resource.

Career

Portfolio highlights

Barclays

As Head of Global Marketing, Simon oversaw a fundamental shift in the marketing strategy across the world ensuring it was 100% aligned with the overall business strategy.

Hendy Group

Simon has worked with the owners of Hendy for several years, overseeing a fundamental shift from complex family ownership and loss-making operations to a highly valued and respected automotive group.

Selfridges

Many people will recognise the famous Selfridges yellow bag. Simon led the team that redefined the entire Selfridges shopping experience, making shopping an occasion and not just an everyday occurrence.

Standard Life

Simon was part of the executive team that ultimately kept the business alive following the 2008 financial crash. The future of the business lay not as a mutual organisation but as a leading publicly quoted financial organisation.

WorldPay

Following the buyout from RBS, as Chief Marketing Officer, Simon helped align the business in a single brand across all territories. This involved establishing the marketing function, recruiting senior personnel and implementing a whole raft of marketing methodologies and approaches including new segmentation models, creation of an Insight function, a new visual identity and adoption of a new marketing planning system.

EasyJet

Over a 3 year period in the role of Chief Marketing Officer, Simon worked closely with the CEO to recover the corporate market post the financial crisis of 2008/9 and in the process reposition the future market for Easyjet. Better planning, targeting and strategy development coupled with a completely new online proposition heralded a highly successful period for the airline.

“I can remember sitting in certain lectures and finding them so boring – but I can also remember the ones where my heart was singing at the end of them. And I want to give people that energy – the confidence to stretch themselves. And the best way to do that is by telling stories, by revealing bits of yourself about when you’ve screwed up and when you’ve got things right – but also just saying to people: “It’s ok to have a go”. I get a real buzz from it.”

– Simon Gulliford
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Simon has a wealth of experience with some of the most prestigious names and institutions in the country:

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