Simon Harford

Simon Harford joined Boston Consulting Group in 2025, bringing his 30 years of experience at the intersection of business-building, investment, and social impact, across both emerging and developed markets. He supports the firm’s clients in Africa as a core member of the Principal Investor & Private Equity; Energy, Climate & Sustainability; and People & Organization practices.

Since 2006 Simon has worked with Actis, the $25 billion emerging markets private equity investor and leader in impact investing practices, most recently as Senior Adviser and formerly co-head of their Africa private equity business and member of the global Executive Committee. Immediately prior to joining BCG, Simon was founding CEO of GEAPP (Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet), a unique new global philanthropic organization launched at COP in 2021 with $1.5 billion funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund to accelerate clean energy in emerging markets. GEAPP innovated with blended finance investments in its systemic change model, operating in 15 countries spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Simon also served as adviser and Investment Committee Chair for Novastar Ventures, the pioneering Africa venture-capital firm, and has for many years also served in non-executive and governance capacities including numerous corporate boards; the National Empowerment Fund of South Africa (the South African government’s social investment fund for black-owned SMEs); the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business; the African Leadership Group of education social enterprises; and the President of Nigeria’s Investment Advisory Council.

In his earlier career, Simon created and led a series of entrepreneurial new businesses including launching three new airlines (UK, Germany, Nigeria). He held senior management roles with British Airways and started his career in investment banking and strategy consulting.