Steering Committee

Simon has been the Director of Policy and External Affairs at IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, since January 2009. Before that he headed up public affairs at the Manufacturing Technologies Association. Previous to that he was Public Affairs Manager at The Independent Schools Information Service.

Simon worked for two years in the 1980s as research assistant to Christopher Chope MP and then worked at Conservative Central Office, running the Conservative Collegiate Forum in its early years. He was a team leader in John Major's campaign team at the 1992 General Election. He was also a Councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1990 to 1994 and on the Conservative Candidates' list from 1990 to 1995. Simon was Chair of the Public Affairs Group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) from 2012-15 and has sat on the Board and Council of the Institute. Simon is an Accredited Practitioner and a Fellow of the CIPR. He is currently Interim Chair of the CIPR Fellows Forum.