Simon Trace has 35 years’ experience working in international development, with a focus on access to basic services (energy, water, and sanitation), natural resource management, and technology.

Simon joined Oxford Policy Management in 2017 and is currently the Programme Director for the Facility for Oil Sector Transformation (FOSTER) programme in Nigeria, a £19 million project that aims to achieve more effective use of Nigeria’s extractive industries to support national development. He is also leading the work on EEG’s Sierra Leone country programme.

Simon has 16 years' experience in senior executive positions in international NGOs, including time as International Director of WaterAid and 10 years as CEO of Practical Action. During his time at Practical Action he provided oversight and technical input for several high-profile energy sector publications, frameworks and strategies, including the UN SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework, the World Bank’s Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE), the World Energy Outlook, and the Poor People’s Energy Outlook (PPEO).

A chartered engineer with an MA in the Anthropology of Development, Simon has lived and worked in Africa and Asia. He has served on a number of steering and advisory groups for prominent international initiatives related to energy, including the UN SE4ALL Tracking Framework Steering Group, and is currently a member of the Strategic Advisory Group for the UK Government’s £1.5 billion Global Research Challenge Fund.