He said: “This is my dream job. Being able to combine my passion for football with my commercial, operational and people management skills is the perfect fit for me.
“The knowledge, exposure and professional development I attained at Coca-Cola HBC was pivotal to my career growth that has ultimately allowed to me move to the position of Director of Sales and Marketing at the Irish Football Association.
“It is a role that has significant potential and will help me to continue to grow professionally. As a not-for-profit body, any commercial revenues that I can generate will be reinvested back into the game from grassroots up, and for me this is hugely fulfilling.”
Simon, who lives in Waringstown and is a former pupil of Lurgan College, worked for Lisburn-based Coca-Cola HBC for 16 years prior to his appointment with the Irish FA.
He joined the global drinks giant after completing his ‘A’ Levels, but he later attended the University of Ulster where he attained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management following six years of part-time study while in full-time employment.
His first role at Coca-Cola was as a business (sales) developer. He then became regional sales manager in Northern Ireland before being appointed national account manager and then national account controller where he looked after large customers across the island of Ireland.
Simon’s final role with Coca-Cola HBC, as Customer Director, saw him lead a large team of salespeople who were responsible for handling the accounts of all Coca-Cola customers in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, from supermarket chains, restaurants and food service companies to convenience stores, wholesalers and vending machine operators.
The Tottenham Hotspur, Glenavon and Northern Ireland fan played for Lisburn Youth and Lurgan Town in his youth and then as a midfielder for Mid-Ulster League side Waringstown. He continues to play midweek cricket for Waringstown.
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