Zetron Names Simon Read as Vice President of International Business Development and Portfolio Strategy

Read is responsible for solution portfolio leadership, strategic direction, and go-to-market execution for Zetron’s international business outside North America.

Zetron, a global leader in integrated mission critical communications technology, announced today that Simon Read has joined the company as Vice President of International Business Development and Portfolio Strategy. Read is responsible for solution portfolio leadership, strategic direction, and go-to-market execution for Zetron’s international business outside North America. Read is based out of Zetron’s Hull, UK office and reports directly to Scott French, President and Executive General Manager of Zetron.

“We are extremely excited to have someone of Simon’s caliber and proven success in the public safety industry join the Zetron team, and believe he’ll play a vital role helping further grow our global market presence,” said Scott French, President and Executive General Manager of Zetron. “Simon’s impressive leadership experience spans from his time serving with the Royal Navy, to a successful career with Saab where he was instrumental in transforming the company’s public safety business into a market leader and expanding its reach into new markets.”

Read served as Vice President and Managing Director of Saab’s global Public Safety business. He led 150 employees and was responsible for overseeing sales and marketing, product management, software development, project delivery, support and service management. His leadership led to rapid and significant growth in the UK, global revenues exceeding forecasts, a streamlined senior management team, a simplified organizational structure, and a business-wide transformational change program.

Prior to Saab, he held several public safety communications leadership roles, including Head of Product Strategy for Arqiva, UK, and Head of Business Development & Product Management for APD (now Zetron Limited), UK, EU and UAE. Notably, Read began his career in the Armed Forces and rose to the position of Chief Engineer in the Royal Navy, where he headed a department specializing in Radio Communications, Command and Control and Electronic Warfare systems, covering a broad spectrum of sophisticated software and hardware solutions.

“I am really proud to be joining Zetron, where I’ll be part of a team delivering solutions used every day by first responders and communications professionals to save lives, protect property and deliver critical services to society,” said Read. “Zetron has an ambitious global growth strategy, fueled by heavy investments in further developing its world class communications products and services portfolio. This is a fantastic fit, an opportunity for me to leverage my professional experience and deep understanding of EMEA critical communications markets to help achieve that growth.”