Having studied English Literature at university and then Law, Simon was keen to find a work environment where he could use both his left and right hemispheres to full effect. He joined a leading media and entertainment law firm and, after qualifying, moved in-house at Granada where he worked closely with the producers of CRACKER, PRIME SUSPECT, COLD FEET, THE ROYLE FAMILY and other iconic shows of the 1990s. After completing an MBA, Simon was invited to join the Shine launch team in 2001 and, having experienced the thrill of a successful start-up business, he launched his own company in 2004 just as the new terms of trade were starting to transform the indie market. Since then, Simon has provided business affairs and commercial director services to more than 200 production companies over the last 20+ years. This has given him a helicopter view of the constantly evolving development, financing, production, and distribution processes within television. Working with talented and ambitious people in the early years of an independent production company (and then seeing it take off) is the highlight of his job, so he greatly values his close relationship with Binocular. He remains nerdily enthusiastic about securing the best possible deal for producers at every phase of a programme’s journey to screen. He actually enjoys negotiating with agents.