Early in his career, Simon served as Deputy Team Leader on the Australian Government’s Technical Assistance Management Facility Phase II (TAMF II), a flagship bilateral programme supporting Indonesia’s post-IMF economic reform and institutional strengthening.
In this role, he worked at senior levels of government, engaging directly with the People’s Representative Council (DPR), Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Bank Indonesia, the National Audit Agency (BPK) and other key institutions involved in economic policy and financial system oversight.
His responsibilities included supporting programme delivery across multiple workstreams focused on financial governance, institutional capacity building and regulatory development.
A core component of the programme involved supporting the establishment of Indonesia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (PPATK), a key institution in strengthening financial transparency and combating illicit financial flows, this represented one of the most significant financial governance reforms of the era.
The programme operated at the centre of Indonesia’s economic reform agenda, contributing to the rebuilding of institutional frameworks and investor confidence following the Asian Financial Crisis. This experience provided Simon with early exposure to sovereign-level decision-making, institutional reform and the intersection of policy, capital and economic development.
Status: Completed government programme.