Suitauloa Simon Young

Principal, Strategy & Ventures

Purpose Empowered People

Simon Young works at the intersection of strategy, systems, and story, supporting purpose-led organisations to turn ideas into structured initiatives, strong governance, and sustainable ventures.

As Principal, Strategy and Ventures at Purpose Empowered People, Simon lead's PEP's advisory work with organisations navigating growth, complexity, and change. His work focuses on helping organisations move from good intentions to clear direction, practical systems, and work that can endure beyond individual leaders.

Simon's career spans journalism, international marketing, venture development, and governance advisory, giving him a practical operator's perspective rather than a purely consulting background.

Simon brings more than 25 years of experience as a founder, practitioner, and community leader working across education, technology, social enterprise, and Pacific community contexts. His experience comes not from traditional consulting pathways, but from building initiatives, supporting founders, and helping organisations make difficult ideas workable in practice.

Rather than approaching work as a conventional consultant, Simon operates as a builder and ecosystem thinker, helping organisations design structures, partnerships, and delivery models that allow good ideas to succeed long-term.

He also brings Mandarin language capability and strong technology literacy, allowing him to bridge cultural and technical environments.

Background

Simon's early career was in journalism covering business, technology and innovation. This developed his ability to analyse complex environments and communicate clearly across technical and leadership audiences.

He later moved into digital and international marketing, including work in the China space supporting organisations such as the New Zealand All Black and Massey University, where he led multinational teams and market engagement initiatives.

This background continues to inform his work today, particularly his focus on practical strategy, systems thinking, and clear communication.

Areas of Focus

Strategy & Venture Development

Supporting organisations to move from concept to structured initiatives and sustainable delivery models.

Systems and Digital Enablement

Helping organisations adopt practical tools and systems that support sustainable operations.

Founder and leadership advisory

Supporting leaders carrying complex initiatives with structure, perspective, and practical direction.

Governance & Organisational Capability

Strengthening leadership clarity, governance understanding, and organisational foundations.

Strategic communication and engagement

Translating complex work into clear narratives that build trust with stakeholders and communities.

Cross-sector partnership developmen

Working across government, community, and enterprise environments to build aligned initiatives.

Selected work

PaCIVICa

Co-designed with founder Salā Marie Young and supported the development of this Pacific civic leadership initiative.

Te Tupu Tahi

Co-designed with Salā Marie Young and supported programme delivery, partnerships, and strategic communications.

Pacific Business Trust Initiatives

Supported Pacific organisations through strategy, governance capability, and business readiness development.

Ministry of Education governance work

Supported delivery of governance capability programmes and led digital capability components including website frameworks and digital engagement training.

Professional Foundations

Simon's professional development reflects his interest in the intersection of technology, governance, and future-focused organisational thinking.

Master of Technological Futures

AcademyEX

Certificate of Legal Studies

AUT University

Google Artificial Intelligence Leader Programme

Google

ESG and Sustainable Business

ESG Institute

Governance and professional affiliations

Simon contributes to governance across professional, standards, and community organisations, reflecting his interest in how institutions function at different scales.

New Zealand Society of Genealogists, Inc.

Board member and Marketing Committee Chair, with involvement in the Asian Interest Group, Pacific Peoples Interest Group, and Strategic Education Group.

International Standards Organisation (ISO)

Joint Technical Committee 1, Subcommittee 42: Artificial Intelligence

New Zealand Mirror Committee

Contributor to New Zealand participation in international artificial intelligence standards development.

Institute of Directors New Zealand

Member

Oratia Church

Trustee

Flock House Remembered Committee

Secretary

Community Leadership

Clan Young New Zealand

Convenor supporting heritage connections and community engagement.

Approach

Simon's work is grounded in the belief that strong governance, clear thinking, and practical systems allow good people to focus on impact rather than struggle with complexity.

He is particularly interested in how governance, technology, and narrative combine to help organisations build trust, navigate change, and create long-term value.

Work with Simon

Simon works with:

Organisations needing strategy or governance support
Founders building purpose-driven ventures
Partnerships developing new initiatives
Leaders seeking practical structure for complex work