Activate Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Elliott as Head of Implementation. Following the company’s extensive success and rapid growth, Simon will play a crucial role in onboarding new customers, to ensure the seamless implementation of services, and managing change across the group.
With nearly two decades of experience in Financial Services, and over thirteen years managing large-scale implementation projects and driving transformational change at organisations such as BlackRock, UBS, and Legal & General, Simon brings a wealth of expertise to the role.
His focus will be on enhancing the business’ robust implementation framework, building a high-performing team, and leading projects to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients.
Interview with Simon Elliott
In this interview, Simon talks about his vision for the implementation team, his professional background, and the contribution he will make to support the next phase of Activate Group’s growth.
Q: What excites you most about joining Activate Group as the Head of Implementation?
A: I’m excited to take on a fresh challenge outside of the financial services industry. Throughout my career, I’ve worked in large, global organisations. Activate Group is a smaller, younger business with a real focus on using technology to drive transformational change in the industry.
With my experience in implementation and change I have a real opportunity to contribute to the business’ continued success and growth. I’m excited to build something from the ground up – putting a new team in place, and establishing processes and frameworks that deliver meaningful results.
Q: Can you share a bit about your professional journey?
A: My career started at 16, when I decided to leave education and take my first job in Operations at Barclays Stockbrokers. I then spent seven and a half years at BlackRock and started out as a pension fund dealer, which was a high-pressure role with intense deadlines. This taught me how to manage risk, complexity and operate under pressure.
While at BlackRock, I had the chance to work on a project automating tasks within my team, which introduced me to project management and led to my first role in implementation, managing the Onboarding & Client Change programme and team. From there, I moved to Legal & General Investment Management, where I managed change programmes and created a team focused on high-end clients.
I spent five years at UBS, working on global wealth management programmes as well as working as a Senior Management Consultant, and finally leading an agile transformation programme to transition 4,000 IT and delivery professionals to a new organisational structure and method of delivering change. Most recently, I was at Mastercard, as a Lead Technical Programme Manager in their pre-paid card business. These experiences have prepared me to craft and manage strategic change programmes, and drive complex implementations that deliver real value.
Q: What is your vision for the implementation team?
A: My vision is to build an implementation function that enables growth for Activate Group. That means delivering innovations, and quality outcomes for our services and products through well-managed projects, and ensuring every project achieves its intended benefits.
I want to make sure our clients have an excellent onboarding experience by understanding their specific requirements and bringing together the right people—both internally and externally—to deliver results. As the company grows, my goal is to ensure that our implementation capabilities grow with it, driving continuous improvement across the business.
Q: What do you see as the key challenges and opportunities in implementation at Activate Group?
A: There’s so much positive change happening at Activate Group, and that creates both challenges and opportunities. The key challenge is to manage this growth effectively while maintaining the high standards that set us apart.
The opportunity lies in building a professional, well-structured framework for implementing projects. By developing the team and processes, we can ensure that change is managed efficiently and contributes to both the company’s growth and the success of our clients.
Q: How do you plan to build strong relationships across the business to ensure successful implementation outcomes?
A: Building strong relationships is fundamental to successful implementation. From day one, I’ve focused on spending time with people across the business, listening to their needs, and understanding how our work can support them.
A big part of managing change is working collaboratively with people. That means understanding the needs of our clients, teams, and how technology can help us deliver better outcomes. I’ve already felt incredibly supported by everyone here, and I’m confident that these relationships will help drive success.
Q: What do you think sets Activate Group apart in the industry, and how do you see yourself contributing to this?
A: Activate Group is a relatively young company, but it has achieved impressive growth and shows a real drive to develop, improve, and enhance its services. What sets us apart is our ability to move quickly, seize new opportunities, and combine tech innovation with a people-focused approach.
Everyone here is friendly, approachable, and eager to embrace change, which creates a great environment for driving growth. My role is to help scale the business effectively – ensuring that as we grow and things become more complex, we continue to improve and deliver exceptional results for our clients and partners.
