Simon Grainge is the Chief Executive of the International Seafarers Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN) – a not-for-profit seafarer welfare organisation based in the UK, India and the Philippines best known for its SeafarerHelp 24/7, multilingual helpline for seafarers and their families. Simon is responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of ISWAN’s services to seafarers. Simon’s career began in 1981 in the UK police service where he embarked on a 20 year career including operational policing, criminal investigation, firearms, training and secondments to the UK Home Office. Simon left the service in 2001 as a Sergeant to begin a subsequent career in the NGO sector. Working initially in the UK leading organisations delivering services to homeless people, he went on to work in international development in Nepal and Pakistan leading projects and services to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Returning to the UK in 2009, he managed a successful social enterprise before then heading up a national federation of homelessness NGOs. Simon joined ISWAN in 2021 and has been working to reinvigorate the organisation with a new strategy, improvements in service delivery and raising its profile with maritime stakeholders. Simon has held numerous board positions within national and international NGOs.