Simon is the CEO of VALSTR and is one of Europe’s most experienced and successful Data and AI leaders. He is an entrepreneur. He was the first Chief Data Officer in the UK and has served as CDO for several FTSE firms. Simon has previously led the biggest business cases for Data in Europe, generating £1bn of incremental revenue per annum.

Simon is a bestselling author, having written the Amazon #1 selling Data and Analytics Strategy for Business (Kogan Page, 2022). The book has sold out and he has now written the second edition which is being released August 3rd, 2025. This new edition includes a greater content on AI and practically integrating AI capabilities into a firm’s existing Data and Analytics strategy.

Simon is featured on the 2025 UK Top 100 Influential People list. He has also been awarded the titles of ‘Europe’s Most Influential Data Leader’ and ‘Most Influential London CEO in Data’.

Simon has an MBA from Durham University and has studied Artificial Intelligence at MIT. He is an appointed member of the Royal Statistical Society’s AI Task Force. He is a guest lecturer at Durham University and the University of California, Berkeley.