Simon Godwin

Elected Trustee – May 2020

A picture of Ri trustee Simon Wallace
Simon Godwin

Simon Godwin has extensive experience and expertise in finance and the financial services sectors. An accomplished Chief Financial Officer, Simon was a founding Partner at Fundsmith, the fund manager.

Simon also has experience of medical devices and the property services sector, having started companies in both sectors. Simon qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte Haskins & Sells and then joined the Corporate Finance division of Schroders. Following a 14 year career in corporate finance, Simon left banking to focus on helping create and run start-up companies.  He is also a Visiting Associate Professor at Herriot Watt.

He is passionate about science and, as an Ri Patron, has been a keen supporter of the Royal Institution, attending lectures and short courses and, of course, being a keen viewer of the online videos. Simon is also a supporter of the London Library and the Hampstead Theatre.

What the Ri means to me

My journey started with the CHRISTMAS LECTURES and gaining an understanding of the breadth and excitement of science. As I introduced my children to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES, I came to understand the breadth of opportunities the Ri has on offer to help me gain a greater understanding of a broad range of topics.

I continue to be an avid fan, attending lectures and short courses as well as watching the videos and listening to the podcasts. From gaining a greater understanding of the important fundamental topics to gaining insight into niche areas I perhaps would not have found by myself, time spent with the Ri is never wasted.

This page was last updated in May 2023.