Inspiring People with Words and Tech
In an ever evolving world, the charismatic Simone Warren inspires people with words and tech as a Global Tech Leader, Coach, and Published Author of ‘The Fate We Make’ trilogy. Blessed with a multi-faceted personality, she’s passionate about sustainable tech, developing diverse talent, and the power of the written word to inspire positivity.
Born in Singapore and based in England, UK, Simone’s professional career developed from a love of people and an innate curiosity about what drives their behaviours, thoughts and choices. She wanted to help others grow, develop and achieve more. This led her to build a career in Technology Sales and eventually, Sales Leadership – helping customers unlock the potential benefits of innovative technology solutions, and developing colleagues by mentoring, coaching and sharing knowledge.
A strong work ethic and a relentless commitment to delivering the best outcomes has been the key to Simone’s success. When she started as a Field Sales Rep almost 3 decades ago, she was the only woman out of 100 and one of a few minority ethnics. She faced challenges of gender and racial stereotyping, which she overcame by communicating openly and asking questions, listening to understand, not to reply. Her approach fostered mutual understanding with colleagues and customers, enabling them all to focus on their similarities while leveraging their diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
This collaborative approach saw her achieve leadership positions across top tech firms. She’s been a Senior Director at global organisations such as Alibaba, BT, and Microsoft, where she managed a multi-million dollar Cloud Computing business. She achieved Microsoft’s Technology Achievers Mentor Gold Badge, was Co-Chair of the EMBRACE employee resource group, and a panelist at multiple speaking events including IWD 2023. She also volunteered as a School Governor, Chair of the PTA, and managed a grassroots football team. A great mentor, she gave time to the Department of Education and Durham University on the TechUP programme to digitally upskill underrepresented people.
Currently, she serves as the Cloud Channel Director at Neo4j. Speaking about her work ethic, she tells us, “I identify with a tiger mentality and have been told by people close to me that I’m very determined and tenacious. I have a strong growth mindset and look at failures as opportunities to rethink and reimagine the art of the possible. While I believe in working hard, I feel it’s equally important to regularly self-check my goals and my purpose so I can adapt to any changes that may be necessary or re-pivot as and when required. I think it’s important to adopt a flexible approach and stay open-minded to new ideas and different ways of working.”
A much sought after Thought Leader, Coach, and Speaker, Simone believes in servant leadership where she measures her success by how successful the people in her team are. For her, it’s about getting a bunch of people to believe in a common vision, then support each other so they all achieve individual and team objectives. It’s about listening with care and empathy, setting a high standard as a role model, and coaching others to discover the answers they already know but may need help surfacing. She thinks true leaders create followship by first demonstrating loyalty and respect for others’ opinions, and earning it in return. Leaders create leaders and accelerate their people’s progression.
This also forms the basis of her greatest passion – to help others thrive and get the most out of life. She is culturally hardwired to altruistically think of the greater good, almost always putting others’ wants and needs before her own. She’s always felt that she should give something back to the world, to leave a positive footprint and a legacy of love and empathy. Her childhood ambition was to be a Volunteer Support Officer in Africa because she strongly feels that we need to redress social, educational, and economic imbalances. She particularly cares about developing diverse talent and championing under-represented people, for example – gender equity.
In light of that, her most gratifying accomplishment has been writing her memoir and getting it published to rave reader reviews. The 1st in her personal trilogy, The Fate We Make – Book One: Heartbreak, is a redemptive coming-of-age story that journeys beyond survival to success.
“This year, I achieved a lifelong ambition of becoming a published author and I hope my memoir will be a source of inspiration for anyone suffering in silence and struggling with mental health issues,” says Simone, adding, “We spend most of our formative years trying to impress others – to live up to familial and societal expectations, to project the ‘right’ image. I’ve realised that life is too short to squander precious time and energy on activities that don’t lead to the fulfillment of my purpose and passion. I see all challenges as opportunities to learn and find new ways of coping and overcoming, but we also need the help and support of others. Ultimately, it’s all about people and how we always need to be kind to others and ourselves, because brave faces often hide broken hearts.”
In her poignantly insightful book, Simone recounts in beautiful detail the lives of the powerful women who shaped her family and how their stories informed her place in the world. Speaking of how her grandma, mum and aunts inspired her, she tells us how they managed to hold themselves and the family together despite facing much heartbreak and hardship. During their era, they experienced gender and racial discrimination, but transcended those challenges to become successful working mums.
On her part, Simone too would love to increase career opportunities for underrepresented groups through digital upskilling, mentoring, and coaching. Personally, she wants to raise the importance of mental health awareness and would love for her book to reach a wider audience as readers have found it truly inspirational and a source of hope.
With wisdom collected over many years, Simone shares with us her most significant thought: “Most of us meander through life just stumbling from one moment to another, wishing it was the weekend, or ambitiously charging towards asset accumulation to attain fulfillment. Yet the happiest moments of my life have been those when I’ve paused to just breathe, reflect, and enjoy the moment. Those immeasurably significant moments of mindfulness made me realise the patterns of thought and behaviour passed down from previous generations which have influenced the choices I’ve made and led to sometimes harrowing consequences. Break the cycle, speak up, and ask for help. Be kind to yourself because you deserve to be happy.”