Simon Barker
2026 ALI Fellow

Simon Barker brings to ALI more than three decades of global experience in reputational risk, crisis management, and strategic communications across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He is the founder and managing partner of Blue Moon Consulting Group, a firm he launched in 2014 to advise higher education institutions on navigating crises ranging from free speech controversies and cyberattacks to organizational restructuring and Title IX cases. Previously, Simon held senior roles at Marsh & McLennan, Visa, and Edelman, where he led global issues management strategies for multinational corporations, universities, and international agencies.

Simon has also served as an external consultant to the United Nations and is the author of Preventing Crises at Your University, a guide to proactive risk management in higher education. A frequent speaker at leadership forums, he has advised trustees and senior leaders at institutions nationwide.