All of us are born leaders but whether we decide to nurture that side of ourselves is up to us.
Simon Bridges is a New Zealand leader and household name given his time in politics and his high media profile over many years.
A lawyer turned senior National politician and MP for Tauranga, Simon held a raft of senior responsibilities in New Zealand politics, including as Leader of the National Party and of the Opposition.
As a Minister in the Key/English governments Simon held a wide variety of Ministerial portfolios including Economic Development, Transport, Communications, Energy & Resources, Labour, Associate Finance and Leader of the House.
Prior to Parliament, Simon started his career in a national law firm and was then a Crown prosecutor for several years conducting many serious criminal jury trials.
Simon has an LLB (Hons) and BA from Auckland University where he received a Senior Law Prize, and a Bachelor of Civil law from Oxford University (where he met his wife, Natalie). In addition, Simon has studied at the London School of Economics and interned at the British House of Commons as part of a Chevening-Hansard Society Fellowship.
In 2021 Simon's personal memoir, National Identity, became a best seller, and received significant critical acclaim. It is a heartfelt wide-ranging book of self-reflections and on what it means to be a New Zealander.
Simon retired from politics and today in addition to his commercial and media work is husband of Natalie and dad to Emlyn, Harry and Jemima. At home he enjoys board games and getting out and about with his kids. He also plays the drums (enthusiastically but not so well these days) and likes red wine, podcasts and reading.
Simon demonstrated exceptional poise, confidence, and consideration as a speaker. He exhibited a deep understanding of the audience, delivering impactful insights on the topic. Simon skillfu ... keep reading The Institute of Internal Auditors
