Simon Haywood

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Chief Financial Officer at GDST (The Girls'​ Day School Trust)

Greater Northampton Area, United Kingdom

Overview

Simon is a Chief Financial Officer with over 25 years of experience, primarily in private equity-backed educational organizations like GDST, Affinitas Education, and Cognita Schools. He is a strategic finance leader skilled in M&A, stakeholder management, and enhancing business valuation. He holds a BA in Geography from the University of Leicester.

Simon is actively involved with Collingtree Park Golf Club in Northampton, a member-run club where he has assisted with hiring. He also serves as the Club Welfare Officer, focusing on safeguarding children and young people within the golf program, and has children who play golf.

His university degree is in Geography, an unconventional background for a senior finance executive.

Personality Overview

Assertive

Example Seeker

Curious

They ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on information and collaterals.  They are generally good communicators and can be hard to convince. They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.

Topics They Care About

Education Sector Finance
Has extensive senior leadership experience as CFO and Group CFO at three different K-12 school groups: GDST, Affinitas Education, and Cognita Schools.
M&A Integration
Possesses deep experience in buy and sell-side acquisitions, due diligence, and leading the integration of newly acquired businesses to drive growth.
Golf
Plays golf and is the Club Welfare Officer at Collingtree Park Golf Club, with a focus on ensuring a safe and positive environment for young people.

Media Appearances

Simon has no verified media appearances

Work History

6-2024
Chief Financial Officer at GDST (The Girls'​ Day School Trust)
10-2022 - 5-2024
Group Chief Financial Officer at Affinitas education
6-2019 - 10-2022
Group Chief Financial Officer at Onebright Mental Health
8-2013 - 3-2019
Group Financial Controller at Cognita Schools
7-2008 - 8-2013
Group Accountant at Cognita Schools

Education

Geography (BA Hons) from University of Leicester

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 19 Location : Greater Northampton Area, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Financial Officer at GDST (The Girls'​ Day School Trust)
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Insights For Selling To Simon

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later
  • Ask them questions to understand their needs better while staying affable
  • Focus on immediate action-items rather than the larger goals

DONT's

  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Simon is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Simon

  • They are practical and friendly, don't expect a clear-cut response often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Simon move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Simon take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Simon

Personality Compatibility


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