Simone Contant

Governance, operations and programme management professional with almost twenty years' experience supporting boards, committees and senior executives across education and the United Nations. Brings extensive experience of board and committee administration, governance documentation, agendas, minutes, governance records and executive support, underpinned by sound judgement, discretion and attention to detail.

Interim Senior Operations and Governance Officer - Research Culture Team, University College London

(2026-01 - 2026-06)

Support operational delivery, programme coordination and governance activity across the Research Culture function within a complex higher education environment.

• Led the transition from spreadsheet-based reporting to structured dashboard-led delivery tracking, improving visibility of progress, risks, dependencies and interdependencies across multiple workstreams.
• Maintained structured tracking mechanisms for actions, risks, issues, dependencies and operational progress updates across concurrent programmes of work.
• Coordinated operational meetings, stand-ups, workshops and follow-up actions, ensuring delivery momentum and accountability across stakeholders.
• Redesigned operational meetings into focused delivery and decision-making forums centred on accountability, issue resolution and action tracking.
• Embedded clearer governance processes, escalation routes and decision-making structures across the team.
• Coordinated Programme Board and committee activity, including agenda planning, documentation management, governance assurance, action tracking and follow-up.
• Managed programme documentation and collaborative working practices across Microsoft Teams and SharePoint environments.
• Supported continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen operational effectiveness and delivery coordination.

Project Manager for Strategic Operations - Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC)

(2024-10 - 2025-07)

Line managed by the Chief of Governance and Strategic Operations, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer to coordinate governance and executive office activities.

• Established seven governance boards and twenty-seven committees, developing Terms of Reference, Delegation of Authority, reporting frameworks and governance documentation to support organisational decision making.
• Developed the annual board and committee calendar, coordinated governance meetings, prepared agendas and Board papers, and maintained action logs to support effective governance.
• Strengthened governance arrangements during the merger of three colleges by introducing standardised processes, clearer workflows and improved governance reporting.
• Worked closely with the Chief of Governance and Strategic Operations and C-suite leaders to support organisational transformation and strategic decision making.
• Designed and facilitated governance workshops, stakeholder engagement sessions and consultation activities.
• Supported the Technical Infrastructure Board and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, contributing to strategic decision making and co-editing the Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report.

Programme Lead – Women in Maritime Programme - International Maritime Organization (IMO)

(2021-08 - 2022-04)

Led IMO's flagship gender programme, overseeing capacity development, resource mobilisation, budget planning and outreach across eight regional Women in Maritime associations.

• Strengthened global partnerships and coordinated mission activities across eight regions, aligning capacity development with inclusive leadership objectives.
• Managed cross-functional projects, engaged with international stakeholders and provided strategic direction on gender equality in the maritime sector.
• Prepared financial updates to support programme budgeting and contributed to management account discussions for accurate decision-making.
• Enhanced collaboration with regional affiliates and maritime partners, ensuring consistent communication and alignment with IMO priorities.

Oversight Officer (Internal Auditor) - Office of the Secretary-General, IMO

(2020-05 - 2021-07)

Led the International Maritime Organization's inaugural gender mainstreaming evaluation and audit, applying ILOITC Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) methodology to assess organisational capacity, governance, accountability and compliance with international standards.

• Designed and delivered the end-to-end audit framework, including workshops, stakeholder consultations, surveys and evidence-gathering methodologies.
• Recruited and coordinated external gender specialists, working alongside internal stakeholders to deliver the audit.
• Delivered strategic briefings and recommendations to senior leadership, strengthening governance, accountability and policy integration.
• Introduced monitoring tools and reporting systems that improved governance oversight, reporting quality and evidence-based decision making.
• Prepared audit reports, briefing papers and progress updates for senior leadership and governance bodies, ensuring accuracy, clarity and timely reporting.
• Led complex audit and consulting assignments, analysing financial and operational data to ensure compliance with Staff Regulations, Financial Regulations and organisational policies, while overseeing audit budgets and SAP-based financial reporting.

Audit Programme Coordinator, Member State Audit Programme / Head of the Executive Office of the Assistant Secretary-General - IMO

(2012-01 - 2020-04)

• Coordinated more than 25 global audit assignments annually, managing budgets, logistics and operational planning for multinational audit teams.
• Prepared reports, briefing papers, correspondence and documentation for Member States and international stakeholders.
• Provided executive, podium and protocol support to the Assistant Secretary-General, Secretary-General and Committee Presidents during conferences and committee meetings.
• Built trusted relationships with ambassadors, heads of delegation, ministers and senior stakeholders, representing the Executive Office with professionalism and diplomacy.
• Line managed three Administrative Assistants and coordinated the delivery of the international audit programme.
• Developed administrative processes and operating procedures that improved consistency, accuracy and compliance.
• Prepared agendas, minutes, decision papers and Member State correspondence, maintaining accurate records and action tracking.
• Exercised sound judgement, discretion and confidentiality while managing sensitive diplomatic information and audit programme budgets.

Master's degree - Business Administration - University of West London

Post Graduate Certificate - Education (Further Education) - University of Reading