about seon
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What’s in a Name?
Seon is drawn from the old English root word for vision or foresight and the verb ‘to see’. It can also be used to mean ‘behold’. Finding new or different ways to look at the same problem and discover opportunity is at the core of the services I offer. From creative thinking to data review ‘seeing’ in new ways’ is central to the work I do with my clients.
Who?
My name is Simon Bird and I started supporting business leaders in 2019 to help them make transformative steps in achieving their growth potential. Over several years – from this small start and across multiple client projects – SEON Growth Ltd emerged.
My approach is based on first-hand experience over 30 years of leading sales and marketing in international premium branded businesses.
From my first job, selling paper to designers, to my last, as global executive director for marketing and EC I have been asked, whatever the market conditions, to lead and deliver profitable growth.
Finding and sustaining it has been my constant challenge, whether I have been facing brand stagnation, increased competition, disruption or underlying market change.
It forced me to be constantly innovative in my approach and where necessary drive transformative change. I always felt it was important not just to stay with the game, but preferably to get, and stay, ahead of it.
Finding and backing new ideas has been at the core of what I do, and now I help other do it too.
Some other things about me
I have lived and worked all over the world in all sorts of market conditions; I have a load of stories I can tell about all sorts of people and places. EMEA and APac are the main bits of geography I know well, but I’d also add into that Mexico; they are all in my blood somehow now. And I have done business more widely in North and Latin America too.
I love languages, anthropology and history. You will often find me in book shops seeking out non fiction on these subjects. If I had to pick my favourite fiction author it would be Haruki Murakami; though my favourite book ever remains Dumas’ ‘The Three Musketeers’.
I speak French, some Spanish and Russian, and even some Tagalog and Waray.
I am British but my wife is Filipina – so we have a mixed heritage family. Understanding and using the power of diverse experience and values is very important to me. It is reflected in my brand name and logo. The former is based on an old English root word for vision, and the logo is derived from an ancient Filipino symbol for growth and harvest.
I have an MBA with a specialist focus in Creativity, Innovation and Change.
In my spare time I am an artist, specialising in abstract landscapes.
WHY?
The most satisfying part of my career has come from seeing people, teams and businesses grow; releasing hidden capabilities and confidence, and realising their potential.
I have learned the hard way and felt how painful it can be when growth is not forthcoming, but through experience, study and my own interests in creative thinking, I designed a different approach to planning and delivering growth and change that I have built into the programme I offer to my clients.
We all have the capability to achieve more, both as individuals and collectively, than we allow ourselves to recognise. Seon Growth exists to help make that happen for you.
Seeing my clients discover their ‘a-ha moments’ and helping them do something constructive with them is my favourite part of what I do.
HOW?
I use my knowledge, experience and creative thinking expertise not to tell my clients what to do; but to help them uncover, pursue and sustain growth more easily.
The approach I designed combines intuitive thinking techniques with customer data, consumer insight and market intelligence, allowing them to build practical, stretching but inspiring plans.
They are not based on pep talks or idle motivation or corporate alignment. I hate all that.
They are based on the energy, ideas and enthusiasm I am able to uncover and release in them.
And I stick with them to help them sustain and build on the progress they make.