Prior to this he was an academic at both Sheffield Hallam and Nottingham Universities, a regulator (where he wrote policy on risk management at the FSA), and a practicing operational risk manager, working for Lloyds TSB, Cooperative Financial Services and Nottingham Building Society. Simon has a PhD in risk management and has published various articles and reports in the fields of risk management, insurance and regulation. Simon is also Vice-Chairman of the Institute of Operational Risk.