Simon Widmer

Simon’s career has been focused at the intersection between strategy, design and learning. While studying Strategy and International Management at the University of St. Gallen, Simon co-founded the student club P.I.E.C.E.S to facilitate volunteering and learning opportunities for students. By building P.I.E.C.E.S he learnt about the importance of learning experiences outside of the classroom and the importance of playful learning formats. He then started his career as a management consultant at McKinsey before joining the Ellen MacArthur Foundation being inspired by the vision of a circular economy – an economy that is regenerative by design.

At the Foundation, Simon discovered his passion for design as a way to shape the world around us and find intervention points that can lead to systemic change. He helped shape two systemic initiatives: the New Plastics Economy initiative and the Circular Design programme both aimed at building momentum in the respective sectors towards a circular economy.

As a Jacobs Fellow, Simon is excited to exchange with the network and contribute to the Foundation’s success, particularly in the areas of design (thinking) as an approach, cross-industry collaboration and systemic change.