Simon Poole

Commander
DISC Type : D

Founder at Grounded Thinking Ltd

London Area, United Kingdom

Overview

Simon Poole is the founder of Grounded Thinking, where he advises boards on the responsible and effective use of AI. A Chartered Accountant with an MSc from the University of Leeds, he has decades of experience as a CFO and Private Equity Operating Partner, particularly in the African fintech and telecom sectors. People describe his approach as pragmatic, thoughtful, and well-balanced.

His career includes instrumental roles in the growth and IPOs of major companies like CAB Payments and Helios Towers. He combines deep financial and governance expertise with a recent focus on translating complex AI concepts into practical board-level strategy.

Personality Overview

Candid & Clear

Strong-Willed

Risk-Taker

They respond better to strong and respectful interactions.  They like to be in a position where they can control the conversation and terms. They are very proud of what they do.

Topics They Care About

AI for Boards
He founded Grounded Thinking to focus exclusively on helping boards and directors navigate the strategic implications, risks, and opportunities of AI.
AI Governance
His work emphasizes helping companies use AI "responsibly & effectively, " focusing on risk management and aligning AI strategy with corporate governance.
African Fintech
Serves as a Non-Executive Director for Ghanaian fintech Hubtel and has extensive experience on the boards of other major African payment companies like Interswitch and Fawry.

Media Appearances

Simon has no verified media appearances

Work History

2-2026
Founder at Grounded Thinking Ltd
7-2025
NED and Chair of Audit Committee at Hubtel
4-2016 - 4-2025
Non Executive Director at CAB Payments plc (and Crown Agents Bank)
8-2011 - 9-2024
Operating Partner at Helios Investment Partners
9-2009 - 8-2011
CFO at Intela Global Ltd

Education

MSc from University of Leeds
BSc from University of Exeter

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 36 Location : London Area, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Founder at Grounded Thinking Ltd
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Simon

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to testimonials from well-known industry leaders
  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending time doing small talk
  • Make sure that you circle back fast on any action items, it wins their trust

DONT's

  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead
  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Simon is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Simon

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no without any hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Simon move?

  • They can take decisions very fast if you manage to convince them.
  • Can Simon take some risk or not?

  • The risks don’t matter much to them.

You And Simon

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.