Simon began his training to enter the Army at Sandhurst. He was first recruited for the Scots Guards in 1972, progressing through the ranks of the division until he became a Lieutenant in 1976. After serving in the Scots Guards, Simon became a member of the SAS where he toured places such as Northern Ireland, Germany, Norway and Cyprus on deployment. He left military service in 1985 but was called back to duty during the Gulf War.
Upon initially leaving service, Simon pursued work in computer security but was led away from the field when he was called to service once more in the Gulf War. After serving in the Gulf War, Simon then began work in the oil industry as an exploration executive. Whilst working in the oil industry, Simon worked alongside others to co-found Executive Outcomes. The private military company was majorly tasked with the turn around of the Angolan war after UNITA guerrilla gang seized an oil port.
Simon also co-founded Sandline International, another private military company. Working in partnership with a fellow former Scots Guard member Tim Spicer, the pair established the company to help with conflicts predominantly in Sierra Leone and Angola. The company was later sought to stop rebellion on the island of Bougainville by the Papua New Guinea government. This job brought Sandline International great publicity, boosting the company’s global presence.
Simon has sparked controversy throughout his career, even landing himself in foreign prisons for his behaviour. Back in 2004, Simon was arrested by Zimbabwe officials, after he was caught violating firearm and security laws bringing £100,000 worth of weapons into Zimbabwe. Sentenced to seven years in prison, Simon fortunately only had to serve three years of that sentence and he is now alleged to have led the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d’état attempt. He was later sentenced to 34 years in Equatorial Guinea prison, but only served four months of the sentence.
As a speaker Simon is sought to tell his story, defining what truly happened to him after he has been subject to speculation for many years. With a history in military service, Simon is knowledgeable in teamwork, team building and leadership which he is able to deliver engaging presentations on as a public speaker.
