Hello and welcome, I am Simon the business owner of S L King Consultancy.
I have worked in the public and private sectors and have run my own businesses gaining knowledge and experience along the way. I've had a great career which has given me many insights to how the world works and what drives people to succeed in their chosen project, career and venture.
I'm a great believer in 'lessons learned' and have used this throughout my career to help me improve on the next project and/or inform others so they can benefit from what went well and what may not have been so good. Lessons learned can increase effectiveness and efficiency and build better outcomes in future projects. Next time you do a project or make a change remember to make some notes of the experience both positive and negative, it really helps!
Finally, I think I'd better let you know that sometimes I have a beard and sometimes I don't!
My LinkedIn Page
Please feel free to look at my LinkedIn page for more information about me, who I've worked with and some of the projects I have led or been involved with. www.linkedin.com/in/simon-l-king
Some Career Highlights
Securing funding - Over the last 25 years I have secured directly or supported successful funding bids and gained sponsorship valued at over £20 million in support of the local economy, projects, businesses, organisations and local government.
Instigating - In my previous roles I have had some great opportunities to instigate and lead major projects and events including Miliatry and Veterans Parades (leading to the National Armed Forces Day), 16 day outdoor concert, Cutty Sark Tallships' Race in 1994, World Record for the largest game of musical chairs, worlds longest sand scultpture (to raise money for Children in Need), introduced one of the UK's first tourism websites which was recognised nationally and established operating procedures for crowd management.
Coordinating - Over the years I have worked with many people from a wide range of backgrounds which has given me the good fortune to coordinate many activities and projects. I designed and project managed 25 operational plans bringing them together into one coherent plan for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games which was a fantastic experience and one I remember fondly.
In the late 1990's I proposed, planned and then delivered a Millennium Festival in 2000 which consisted of a free 16-day outdoor concert, sports arena and cultural activities. During this event I engaged with over 100 organisers who represented over 5,000 participants from youth groups, veterans and international artists. Having to coordinate the programme, arrivals, departures, accommodation, funding and staff did give me some stressful moments, but it was a really rewarding experience for both me and the other team members.
One of the most rewarding experiences, and a great honour for me personally, was being appointed the Operational Planner and Coordinator for the 50th Anniversary D-Day Commemorations in Weymouth and Portland. The event consisted of 9 days of activity that included a Military and Veterans Parade with over 5,000 veterans, military personnel and bands, a flypast of 167 aircraft, 100 historic military vehicles, the attendance of HMS Avenger, USS Harland County and military bands from the US Army, US Air Force, the Royal Marines, the Royal Engineers and the US National Guard. I worked with the US Embassy and Ministry of Defence to secure military assets and ex-service associations from the UK, Canada, France and USA. I had the honour of meeting some remarkable men and women that served during the war and some that had taken part in the D-Day Landings and those that actively protects us all today.
Following the 50th Anniversaries of WWII, I proposed, instigated and planned the first Military and Veterans Festival for 1996 . This event became annual and still takes place today under the Armed Forces Day banner. I cherish these memories and still use today the lessons learned from organising these events.
Planning - I have been involved with, and have had the opportunity to be the lead planner, for some major projects during my career however, planning is also vital for smaller projects, business start-ups, new events etc. Planning enables you to be better equipped to prepare for the future, identity and react to gaps and weaknesses and give clarity to the direction of travel. One recent project that I planned and project managed was with six different studies being instigated and delivered simultaneously. There was a need to have a clear project plan from the start so each of the six consultants understood the brief, the goals, timeline and outcomes required. On top of this I was responsible for the monitoring (to ensure we stayed on timeline, identify integration points and budgetary issues), report progress and ultimately deliver the studies. As part of the project I undertook monitoring reports and RAG (risk) assessments required by the funding body. To do this type of work without planning can lead to disastrous results, missed opportunities and many sleepless nights.
Personal Highlights
Look I can fly! - Well not quite, just the Flåm Zipline the longest zipline in Scandinavia
I like to travel - I like to experience other cultures and have wonderful memories of traveling through Australia, Thailand, Laos, Egypt, Tunisia, Norway and throughout Europe. Two of my favourites have been travelling through the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary by train and driving and walking through the Alps in France, Italy and Switzerland.
vroom, vroom - Racing (on a track!) in an Aston Martin DB 11. Great experience but not my day car as I have a granddaughter to think about.
Your Majesty - I've had a few opportunities to be part of the planning and coordination of royal visits which gave me a chance to work with the Royal Household for visits by Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Prince Philip, truly memorable experiences.
Make them laugh - I have a sense of humour and had many opportunities to make colleagues and friends cry with laughter (There was an incident when I accidently hit a foreign Mayor with a King Prawn, then drank from the finger bowl by mistake). Laughter has helped with the comradery of the team and contributed to a great team spirit and happiness.
Personal Moments
- Finding true love and marrying my wife
- The day my daughter received her First Class BA (Hons) degree
- The day my son returned from travelling the world and started his own business
- The day my first grandaughter was born and has since brought so much joy and meaning to life
- For me personally, overcoming cancer (well on the way to it) and knowing that there is still a life to lead :-)
- That a flatwhite with no sugar is rather nice!
