From 2019 to 2024, as Deputy Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Simon led one of the federal government's most active economic portfolios. He oversaw major industrial policy initiatives to rebuild domestic biomanufacturing in the wake of the pandemic, develop critical minerals and electric-vehicle battery supply chains, and position Canada as a leader in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. He also directed legislative reforms to the Investment Canada Act, Competition Act and Telecommunications Act, and oversaw Canada's foreign investment review process.
As Deputy Minister of Health from 2015 to 2019, Simon led Health Canada's extensive regulatory and health promotion mandate, including the government's decision to legalize and regulate cannabis, reforms to pharmaceutical pricing, food labelling and tobacco control, and the federal response to the opioid crisis. Earlier, as Deputy Minister of International Trade, he oversaw the conclusion of landmark trade agreements with the European Union and South Korea. As G-20 Sherpa, he advised the Prime Minister on international economic affairs. Separately, he served as the Prime Minister's lead negotiator with the White House on the Canada-US Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness.
Simon serves on the boards of Finchley Pharmaceuticals, Quantum Valley Ideas Lab and the national charity Brain Canada, and has previously served on the boards of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information and Ottawa Community Foundation, among other organizations. He is also a senior advisor to Esplanade Ventures, a Canadian venture capital firm focused on health technology, and to Teneo, a global advisory firm.
Simon's deep understanding of government decision-making, combined with his experience leading major economic and industrial initiatives, allows him to help clients anticipate policy and regulatory developments, engage effectively with governments and stakeholders and identify strategic growth opportunities.
