Simon North
Executive coach, mid-career transition expert, mentor, speaker, writer, ex HR Director
Simon’s career includes working within a wide range of roles, sectors and levels. He is an expert on mid-career transition and the quick rate of change for people in work. He’s curious about people, their development and contributions, and how to create positive working environments.
After starting in personnel and industrial relations, Simon moved into consulting and operational leadership roles including International HR Director, Managing Director and later took on Chairing and Non-Executive Director roles. He has worked in many organisations and ecosystems which gives him a fabulous insight and understanding of how some of the best known organisations really work. He holds a degree in Sociology and Politics from Exeter University, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and was credentialed by the International Coach Federation in 2007.
Simon is an alumnus of Rolls-Royce, Shell International, PwC, KPMG and IBM. He has learnt about the engineering, manufacturing, management consulting, financial services and technology industries and has worked across the world. He is a HR professional by qualification and was an early adopter of psychological profiling for team development within Shell. His career has included marketing, sales and operations; which gives him real experience across a wide range of sectors and business functions. Simon has also worked in international consulting roles, recruitment and in interim management and has founded two businesses.
He willingly shares his valuable experience as an executive coach, mentor, business and mid-career transition expert. He co-founded Position Ignition, one of the UK’s leading career consulting and publishing companies, to support individuals who need their roles re-engineered and re-designed. He works with organisations to support mid and late career professionals through times of change, especially where the need for creative and sensitive career management is seen as a unique point of difference for the employer. His focus is to create high standards of employment excellence in work and he started this process as a creator of the Investors in People Standard in 1991.
Simon works towards this vision through his writing, speaking and through his transition work with individual and corporate clients. He is a regular speaker at some of the UK’s top business schools including Ashridge, Henley, Warwick and Durham Business Schools amongst others and is often asked to speak to various networks and alumni groups abroad.
His company’s blog is read by tens of thousands and his articles have been featured in publications such as Forbes, Guardian, HR Director, HR Magazine and HR Zone.
Here are some of his most relevant blog posts:
Careers over 40: What I want now I'm grown up!
