In Conversation with Jonathan Simcock

Jonathan Simcock is an engineer by background with extensive senior executive experience in the oil and gas sector, spanning commercial leadership, asset management, project delivery, and mergers and acquisitions. He has also held executive roles in the public sector, including Executive Director for Major Projects in the former Office of Government Commerce.

Jonathan has since transitioned to a portfolio career as a non-executive director (NED) in the public sector and has recently published his book, The Delivery Gap: Why Government Projects Really Fail and What Can Be Done About It.

Jonathan, welcome to the blog. How has your executive career equipped you to serve as a NED on a public sector board?

“I describe myself as a ‘Swiss Army knife’ because of the breadth of my skills, with particular expertise in asset management in high-tech, highly regulated and hazardous environments. My private sector experience is especially valuable for public sector boards overseeing engineering-led, high-hazard projects, where my background in delivery, project management and organisational change can add real value.”

Which public sector boards have you served on?

“My first public sector non-executive role was on the Investment Committee of the Department for International Development (as it was then), which I undertook while still working as an executive. I later joined the board of the Submarine Delivery Agency as a NED, subsequently serving a second term as Chair. I have also served on the board of Sellafield in the nuclear sector.”

What are the most common challenges you’ve encountered?

“Having spent much of my career in oil and gas, the public sector felt like the obvious place to look for an even bigger and more diverse challenge. In the private sector, however complex a project might be, success is usually defined quite clearly – for example, through shareholder value or the company’s bottom line. A nation is far more complex than a corporation, and objectives tend to be multifaceted and shaped by political context, so absolute clarity is much harder to achieve.”

How have you applied your private sector skillset to public sector boards?

“I knew very little about nuclear submarines when I joined the Submarine Delivery Agency Board, but I did know a great deal about asset management in high-hazard environments, which was immediately applicable. Professional skills transfer well, and I also found public sector colleagues open and receptive to my advocacy of simplicity.”

In your experience, what are the key differences between the main challenges in the public and private sectors?

“The balance between challenge and support needs to be different. In the private sector, I would typically err more towards challenge. In the public sector, however, a more supportive mindset is required, recognising that organisations often have genuine constraints on how they can respond to issues.”

What do you enjoy most, or find most rewarding, about being a NED?

“Three things stand out for me. First, the opportunity to make a real impact – public sector organisations are generally open to advice, challenge and support. Second, being involved in issues that really matter to society; these are things my friends, family and neighbours care about. And third, despite the bureaucracy and inevitable frustrations, working with organisations that are driven by a strong sense of mission and a desire to serve the greater good is deeply rewarding.”

What asset management or project management questions would you ask at your first board meeting?

“As part of an induction, I would encourage a new NED to ask different people the same question: ‘What is this project really all about?’ It’s instructive to compare High Speed 2 with Crossrail (now the Elizabeth Line), both of which I discuss in The Delivery Gap. Crossrail maintained a clear objective throughout: linking Heathrow, the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf. HS2, by contrast, has had a shifting narrative – from speed, to capacity, to levelling up, to survival. Without alignment and clarity of purpose at board level, success becomes extremely difficult.”

“I would also look closely at the management information presented to the board. How do we really know the status of the project? How coherent are the answers? Does the executive team truly understand what is driving the key performance indicators? In the public sector, boards are often operating with limited visibility. Time in the boardroom is constrained, so site visits and introductory meetings with key executives and fellow NEDs are essential. The mindset needs to be supportive, but also probing and sceptical – KPIs may be required, but they are not always well aligned with outcomes.”

What advice would you give to a business leader considering a public sector board role?

“First, I would recommend taking on a non-executive role while still working as an executive, before fully transitioning to a portfolio career. A limited-commitment role can be an excellent starting point – for example, my role on the Investment Committee at the Department for International Development. The budget then was around £12–15 billion per year, which was a powerful introduction to the scale and complexity of public sector decision-making.”

“Second, approach public sector roles with humility. Take time to understand the unique challenges, structures and political context before trying to apply private sector solutions.”

“And finally – just go for it.”

Thank you, Jonathan.

If you’d like to explore these themes further, I highly recommend reading The Delivery Gap, which offers practical case studies and insights into why large government projects fail – and what can be done differently.