Biography
Simon T. Bailey is the World’s Leading Expert on Hope-Powered Leadership™—an executive advisor, speaker and researcher whose human-centered approach is designed for a world being reshaped by AI, rapid change, and rising emotional fatigue. He helps leaders flourish by practicing the six hooks of Velcro Leadership™, empowering them to amplify hope and ignite brilliance in themselves and others.
A former Sales Director at the Disney Institute, Simon began his career in hospitality, where he learned that exceptional service is less about transactions and more about elevating the human experience. That insight has guided him ever since. Over the last two decades, he has advised organizations across healthcare, hospitality, finance, education, and technology, helping them build cultures where people feel seen, supported, and connected to meaningful work.
His early consulting success included a three-year transformation with a regional hospital that ultimately became part of a $1B healthcare system, and a hospitality company whose division received recognition from Expedia for measurable gains in customer satisfaction. Throughout his journey, Simon’s insights have helped seven entrepreneurs build seven-figure businesses—proof that hope, when amplified, becomes a strategy that transforms lives and organizations.
Today, Simon works at the intersection of research, virtue ethics, and practical leadership. His nationally recognized study, The State of Working America: Thriving in Resilience and Brilliance, has reshaped how organizations understand well-being, engagement, and the psychological drivers of high performance. He is a certified Caritas Coach through Watson Caring Science and a Certified Coach of the 12 Shapes Assessment. His forthcoming book, Velcro Leader: Amplify Hope in Everyone (Wiley - Fall 2026), introduces a new operating system for leadership—one that fastens people, purpose, and performance together in an age where AI can automate tasks but can never replicate human hope.
Simon’s voice extends beyond boardrooms and stages. He is the co-host of the new global podcast Amplify Hope Today, a weekly conversation designed to restore optimism, meaning, and emotional well-being for listeners navigating the complexities of modern life. He has also written “Amplify Hope,” an original song that captures the heart of his movement: that leaders—and everyday humans—can create better futures by elevating the hope of others.
Simon has spoken to more than 2,600+ organizations in 55 countries, authored 11 books, and created 14 LinkedIn Learning courses reaching over 400,000 professionals worldwide. Featured in Success Magazine’s “Top 25 People Who Will Help You Succeed,” his work blends empirical insight with a warm, relatable voice that calls leaders to embody the virtues that help teams and communities thrive. With an Executive MBA from the Royal Docks School of Business and Law at the University of East London and three honorary doctorates, he aims to make a dent in the universe.
He is also serving a second five-year term on the Orlando Health Foundation Board of Directors. Orlando Health Foundation raises critical funds for the 100-year-old Orlando Health Hospital System, a private, not for profit organizations which generates $2 Billion in total community impact.
His greatest joy, however, is being a father to two college-educated young adults who are courageously carving out their own paths in the world. Their growth, resilience, and unfolding brilliance remain his proudest legacy—reminding him daily that hope, when amplified, becomes generational. And he predicts that the Buffalo Bills will win a Super Bowl in his lifetime.