Simon Laffin

Simon Laffin is a highly experienced non-executive director, board chair, and corporate advisor, with over three decades working on boards in both UK and international businesses. He has been Chairman at Care REIT plc, Flybe Group plc, Assura plc, and Hozelock Group, as well as a non-executive director at Dentsu Group Inc, Watkin Jones plc, Quintain Estates and Development plc, Mitchells & Butlers plc, and Aegis Group plc. Before this, he was CFO of Safeway plc and an adviser to CVC Capital Partners. His governance experience spans UK and Japanese publicly listed, privately owned and private equity companies, involving complex turnarounds, boardroom crises, takeovers, mergers, public scrutiny, and both regulatory and shareholder engagement.

Simon is a commentator on governance and business issues, known for challenging conventional thinking and corporate governance, arguing for a more human-centred, practical understanding of board dynamics. He writes and speaks regularly on topics such as corporate culture, risk, audit, and how directors can navigate the increasingly complex and exposed role of corporate oversight.

Simon's second book is: 'Why Companies Fail. Exposing human performance in the boardroom', to be published in October 2026

His first book ‘Behind Closed Doors: The Boardroom. How to Get In, Get On and Make a Difference’ is both a manual on how boards work and a primer for how to serve as a company director.

He has also worked as a milkman and a grocery store manager. Simon is a qualified accountant with an MA from Cambridge University.