Simon Walker

Simon Walker, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1953, embarked on a multifaceted career that has seen him hold significant roles across various sectors. His early education included attending Highgate Junior School in the UK before returning to South Africa to attend South African College High School in Cape Town. He later studied at Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and was elected President of the Oxford Union in 1974. Following his graduation, Walker began his career as a TV journalist with TV One in New Zealand, where he worked for five years and notably interviewed Prime Minister Rob Muldoon. He then moved to the United States as a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University in 1979.

Walker transitioned into politics, serving as Director of Communications for the Labour Party in New Zealand, which returned to power under David Lange in 1984. His career moved back to Europe in the late 1980s, working at public relations firms Hill & Knowlton and later as a partner at Brunswick Group in 1994. In 1996, he returned to government, working in the 10 Downing Street policy unit for Prime Minister John Major. A significant career milestone occurred between 2000 and 2002 when he served as Communications Secretary to HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace. Following his royal service, Walker re-entered the private sector, holding positions such as Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Reuters and Chief Executive of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) from 2007 to 2011.

From 2011 to 2016, Simon Walker served as Director General of the Institute of Directors (IoD), where he focused on modernizing the organization and enhancing the voice of the business community. During his tenure, he was also chairman of the Global Network of Directors’ Institutes and a non-executive director at the European Confederation of Directors’ Associations. He championed corporate governance issues and publicly addressed instances of poor corporate behavior at companies such as Barclays, BG Group, Sports Direct, and Burberry. In 2017, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to business and the economy. After leaving the IoD, he became Lead non-executive director at the Department for International Trade (2016-2020) and was appointed Chair-Designate of the Trade Remedies Authority in February 2020, becoming Chair in June 2021. He also serves as a Governor at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and a non-executive advisor at Greenbrook Communications.