Simon Johnson, Roger Kay Lecture
Thank you to Mr Simon Johnson, Bury Grammar School alumnus (Class of 1985), who delivered the fourth lecture in our Roger Kay Lecture Series. Each lecture in the series is presented by a high-profile figure from the Manchester community.
We were delighted to welcome Mr Johnson back to BGS. After leaving the School in 1985, he went on to study Law at King’s College London before returning to speak to our pupils and students — inspiring the next generation with his experiences and insights.
Mr Johnson shared,
“It is a real honour for me to have been asked to deliver the Roger Kay Lecture and come back to my old school.”
Now in his fifth career iteration, and currently serving as Chair across a charity, and a private business, Mr Johnson clearly continues to embody the BGS values of a well-rounded education — embracing enrichment, social awareness, and enterprise — all qualities we hold in high regard at BGS.
Speaking about his role as Chair of a Board, Mr Johnson explained the responsibilities involved — from setting strategy and ensuring that all board members’ views are heard, to representing shareholders and aligning business objectives. He also discussed his media responsibilities within sport and his leadership of fundraising initiatives in the charitable sector.
Mr Johnson highlighted the key skills required for success in such roles: diplomacy, honesty, integrity, attention to detail, patience, creativity, and a willingness to find solutions. He also emphasised the importance of confident public speaking and the ability to build connections and find common ground with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
He told us,
“It’s been a fun, fascinating and challenging career”.
Mr Johnson shared with us that he began his career as a lawyer, spending 10 years with ITV, the majority as Director of Rights and Business Affairs. After a period as the senior lawyer at the Premier League, Simon’s career in sport saw him spend four years as Director of Corporate Affairs at the Football Association, followed by a role as the COO of England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Until recently, Simon was the Chair of the Rugby Football League where he oversaw a restructure of the Board and a refreshment of its membership. Simon is currently the Chair of SIS, a 24-7 supplier of live betting content to global operators and is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Lancaster Management School. Simon is the Chair of a charity which provides respite care for the families of children with life threatening illnesses and is a Trustee of a family philanthropic foundation.
After his years of experience in varying fields Mr Johnson offered some words of advice for our pupils:
“Life won’t run in a straight line; there will always be setbacks it's how you respond to them that determines how much you enjoy your life.”
“Be resilient, life is going to throw a number of obstacles at you, and things will not always go to plan... however, each set back creates a new opportunity... good [times] will always follow bad [times].”
“Be flexible, life rarely runs in a straight line, what you want to do today may not be what you end up doing, keep your options open... and don’t be afraid to change course from time to time... always back yourself to succeed.”
“Be ready to learn... so the next thing that you do will be even better than the last.”
“Have pride and self-confidence, Bury Grammar School will give you, and has given you, the very best start, and I can vouch for that.”
“Be honest and have integrity... always do the right thing.”
We are very grateful to Mr Johnson for returning to school to share inspiring insights from his career and his top tips for success!
The Roger Kay Lecture Series is named after Sir Roger Kay, a philanthropist of the 1720s who was committed to making education available to all.
This year’s lecture series began with a talk from Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, another proud northerner, followed by Sarah Lester, Editor of the Manchester Evening News and a Bury Grammar School alumna, Mr Potts, Assistant Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police.