Alex Hepworth: How would you describe yourself, both professionally and personally?
Simon Beard: I find it quite hard talking about myself sometimes. I feel very British in that sense. It makes me a bit uncomfortable! But I’d say I’m a calm, controlled person and also, pretty determined. I’m resilient and hardworking. Hopefully, people see that I have a good sense of humour, too. I like to have fun but I also know when to be serious. I’m serious about what I do.
Outside of work, I’m fairly relaxed. When I get time off, I try to switch off and connect with my family. I don’t see them as often as I’d like, since I live in a different country and travel a lot.
Alex: What do you do to switch off?
Simon: A bit of exercise, good food and the occasional glass of wine. I enjoy just relaxing with friends. I love anything live and I'm mad about sport. Formula 1 is a big passion of mine, as well as football, rugby and cricket. I’m also really into music and listen to a lot of it. Plus, I love the theatre and live performances.
Alex: Can you give a general overview of the size and scope of the business you're currently leading?
Simon: As head of the EMEA region, I’m responsible for everything commercial, and I work within a matrix organisation. My immediate team is around 14 people, covering geographies aligned with the business. Alongside them are key functions such as legal, finance, HR, corporate communications, marketing, customer success, all of which are crucial to running the business.
In terms of my direct team, I lead around 1,200 people across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Including the extended team, it's closer to 1,700 or 1,800 people. It’s a big team but an amazing one.
Alex: To lead that kind of team, what values and leadership styles do you rely on to ensure consistency?
Simon: I believe leadership requires many styles. That’s probably my biggest learning over the years. You need to adapt to different people and situations. One style doesn’t fit every scenario.
At the core of my approach is trust. If people don’t trust me, if I’m not credible, consistent, or fair, everything else becomes infinitely more difficult. It can create a really challenging environment. Trust is key. I also pride myself on making decisions. I’ve seen what happens when people don’t, it creates churn and uncertainty, which drains energy from the organisation.
I’m quite direct, not in a rude way, but I like to be clear with my team about where we stand as a business and where they stand as individuals. That directness extends to feedback, too. When someone’s doing a great job, I tell them, and I tell them why, so they keep doing it. But if something’s not going well, I like to sit down and talk about it so we can find a solution together.
Over my nearly 35 years of leading people, I’ve found two things increasingly important: observation, it’s not what people say, but what they do, and self-analysis. The more senior you get, the less feedback you receive, or it lacks specificity. So, I’ve learned to self-reflect. Even on small things, like a conversation that didn’t go well. I'll go back and say, “Hey, that didn’t come across right. Can we revisit it?” That humility has grown on me over the last five to ten years.
Alex: Are there any quotes or philosophies that have stuck with you on your leadership journey?
Simon: Most of my quotes come from my mother. She was a Northern lady, very direct, sometimes brutally so, but her advice always came from a place of love. One quote that’s always stuck with me is “don’t confuse motion with action.” It’s stayed with me throughout my career.
Some people act busy and talk a lot about what they’re doing, but their actual output is very little. We shouldn’t measure ourselves purely on input, but rather on the quality and impact of our output.
Alex: Would you say she shaped you from a young age?
Simon: I was lucky, I had great parents. They both worked full time. My dad worked seven days a week until I was in my twenties. I definitely learned about hard work early on in my life.
I remember trying to fake being sick to avoid school, but my mum was a nurse. Unless you were visibly bleeding or had something broken, you weren’t getting out of going!
They had strong values, honest, hardworking, and underneath their stern exteriors, really caring. We didn’t have a lot of money, very working-class Northern upbringing, but whatever I pursued, whether in sport or school, they were encouraging. And they gave honest feedback, too. I was very lucky.
Alex: What habits or routines do you stick to that are key to your success?
Simon: The first thing I do each morning is make my bed. I learned that years ago. It’s a small achievement but it sets the tone for the day. I start the day by thinking about what’s ahead, what meetings I have and what I need to focus on.
Then every Sunday, I reflect on the week. I review weekly updates from the team before putting together a report for my boss. It’s a valuable exercise that helps me reflect on what’s happened and plan for what’s coming next. I spend about an hour on reflection and another three hours on forward planning, thinking about the next week, next month, next quarter. I encourage my team to think ahead too. There’ll always be last-minute issues, but if everything is last-minute, it creates chaos and stress for the whole organisation.
I remember reading that Jeff Bezos takes a 20-minute walk every morning, no music or distractions. Just space to think.
When I’m at home, I like to take a 30 minute walk to clear my head. If I’m travelling, I don’t always get that chance. It’s not a strict discipline but I do it when I can. Fresh air really helps reset the mind.
Alex: Looking back over your career, is there a particular moment or experience that you’d call a turning point?
Simon: There’ve been many moments of growth in my career and I’m a great believer in the saying “if you stop growing, you start to die”. But one experience that stands out is my first job abroad. Leaving the comfort of my home culture and familiar surroundings to immerse myself in something completely different. That was a game-changer.
I moved from the UK to Asia. Living and working in Singapore taught me so much. Learning to adapt my approach accordingly was incredibly valuable. But more than that, it gave me confidence. Succeeding in a different culture, being accepted and respected, that gave me belief that I could succeed anywhere.
Alex: What would you say is your proudest professional achievement, especially during your time at Align?
Simon: I think the most meaningful achievements are always about people.Seeing people I’ve brought into the business grow, get promoted, and take on more responsibility. That’s really rewarding. Even those who’ve left the company but still want to stay in touch, that’s a real compliment.
On the customer side, sometimes people come back a year later and say, “I took your advice, bought a scanner, got some training and it changed my practice.” That’s huge. When you can have a positive impact on someone’s life like that, it makes everything worth it.
Alex: What makes the dental sector unique compared to others you’ve worked in?
Simon: Firstly, you're dealing with small business owners. That’s a different relationship compared to the NHS or government-funded healthcare professionals, which was my experience before. Dental practices are often family businesses. If they don’t hit their numbers, no one’s bailing them out. That creates urgency and a real sense of responsibility for us to help them succeed.
Secondly, the evolution of dental care has been fascinating. Growing up in the UK, it wasn’t a priority. But now, seeing the impact our products have, not just on health, but on lives, is amazing. I’ve benefited from them myself. It gives the work real purpose.
Alex: What do you see as the most exciting or transformative change in the dental industry, now and in the future?
Simon: AI is the obvious one and it’s already here. It’s going to reshape not just our industry, but every industry. We're still at the early stages, figuring out the real applications and the potential risks, too.
Another area is visualisation—how people will look post-treatment. We’re already ahead of the curve there but capturing the changes to the face shape, that will be a game-changer.
And finally, digital transformation. It’s not just about tools, it’s about adapting business models. That’s what we focus on with the Global Business Innovation team, exploring how we help our customers to actually grow their business.
Alex: Any favourite books, podcasts, or resources you turn to for inspiration?
Simon: I enjoy reading, but mostly when I’m on holiday. I take a two-week break in the summer, lie on the beach, and read. The rest of the year, if I lie down with a book, I fall asleep.
I’m not a big podcast person but I do enjoy Simon Sinek’s. I like the way he approaches business and the way he thinks more broadly – he comes across as a thoughtful, grounded human being. I also make a point of reading the news. I prefer reading it over watching it on TV, which often feels more like opinions than facts. Staying up to date with what’s happening in the world is important to me – especially to pick up on any early warning signs.
Alex: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to yourself at the start of your leadership journey?
Simon: Looking back, I think it would be to have more confidence. Growing up in the north of England, you’re not exactly raised to be gregarious or confident. So, I’ve always had a bit of imposter syndrome. I was a shy person. So, yes, if I could change one thing at the start of my leadership journey, it would be to have more self-belief.
Alex: Thanks so much for your time today.