Biography

Simon is responsible for the Audit & Investigations (A&I) function, whose mission is “to safeguard Gavi’s resources that help save lives by providing independent and objective assurance on risk.” The department covers four functions: Internal Audit; Programme Audit; Investigations and Counter-Fraud; and Whistleblower Reporting.

In his position as Managing Director of A&I, Simon reports directly to the Board (ensuring that A&I’s activities can be conducted with independence) and the CEO. The A&I function has no direct operational responsibility or authority over any of the activities it reviews.

As a UK Chartered Accountant with a degree in Economics from the University of Liverpool and a diploma in Business Studies from Manchester Business School, Simon brings to Gavi more than 35 years of experience in audit, management consultancy and finance (with PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock). He has senior management experience with exposure to diverse multicultural work environments including London, New York and Nairobi.

With a passion for Gavi, and while balancing the need for A&I’s independence with an emphasis on management engagement, Simon has aimed to develop a fresh construct of audit. This is based around a rigorous perspective on risk while being stakeholder-oriented.