T 0208 092 8411
E simon.lewis@astraea-group.com

Simon helps Astraea’s clients in complex situations, particularly where there is a reputational dimension and a need for a crisis communications and public relations strategy.

Simon is one of the UK’s most senior and experienced strategic communications advisors. He studied at Oxford University and the University of California, Berkeley, as a Fulbright scholar.

Simon began his career in financial public relations in London during the early 1980s. He was seconded to S.G. Warburg Group in the lead-up to the City’s deregulation in 1986. In 1992, he became Director of Corporate Affairs at NatWest Group, overseeing internal and external communications, including the rebranding of its investment bank.

As a founding member of Centrica’s Executive Team, Simon managed corporate affairs and public policy during its demerger from British Gas, the largest transaction of its kind in the UK. In 1998, he was seconded to Buckingham Palace as the first Communications Secretary to the late Queen, managing communications for the Royal Family.

Returning to Centrica, Simon led European business activities before joining Vodafone Group as Director of Corporate Affairs in 2004, where he handled global communications for the UK’s largest listed company. In 2009, he was appointed Director of Communications and Official Spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.

In 2010, Simon became the founding CEO of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe, growing it into a leading trade group. He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for public service and international education contributions.

Simon joined FTI Consulting in 2020 as Vice Chair EMEA and global Head of Financial Services in Strategic Communications. In 2023, he founded Lewis Advisors, focusing on board-level strategic communications.

Simon is Chair of Young Enterprise, an Honorary Fellow of Brasenose College, and co-hosts the BBC Sounds podcast “When it Hits the Fan.”