Simon Balem

Simon Balem has over two decades of professional work experience. Simon started their career as an Assistant Manager at KPMG, where they worked as an auditor for various mid-cap UK plcs and gained exposure to multiple corporate transactions. Following this, they joined British Polythene Industries (now part of RPC Group) as an Internal Auditor and Financial Controller. In 2001, Simon became the Director and Company Secretary at Dowding & Mills, where they played a pivotal role in the company's turnaround and multiple corporate transactions, including a take private, reverse acquisition of a listed company, and eventual sale to Sulzer. During their tenure, the company's value increased from £9 million to £128 million. Simon then moved on to Sulzer Rotating Equipment Services, serving as the Director and Company Secretary of Sulzer Electro Mechanical Services (UK) Limited. In this role, they had diverse responsibilities in legal and finance and successfully integrated the business into Sulzer, merging their 26 UK sites into the global network. Most recently, Simon joined Mpac Group plc as the Head of Financial Risk in 2018.

Simon Balem attended Bishop Vesey's Grammar School from 1986 to 1992, although they did not obtain a degree or specialize in any field of study during this time. Following their time at Bishop Vesey's, Simon enrolled at the University of Plymouth from 1992 to 1995, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Finance. Additionally, in June 1998, they obtained their certification as a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants.