Optima began it’s exporting journey in 2004 after a client moved to Switzerland and made a cry for help. That moment changed our course and broadened our thinking. The world is a smaller place than you think, especially now, and from then on we have grown our international client base, our tech and communications to share work, our network and most importantly our confidence. Simon will share that journey from a recruitment campaign in Geneva to redesigning the World Trade Organisation website and onwards to now talking to clients across five continents and delivering globally.

Simon Shaw studied Graphic Design on the 80s and worked in corporate identity and brand for London agency Negus and Negus including working on Concorde for BA, the original Millennium Dome and Birmingham and Coventry Universities. He took a 22 month career break travelling and after further London agency work and travels set-up Optima in Lincoln in 1995. Optima specialise in Brand, Web and Print and their success has been built on combining these skills for customers leading to designing and building big websites for International agencies and NGOs including the ILO, World Heart Federation, International Agency for the Prevention of blindness (IAPB), the World Trade Organisation. Optima are just about to launch the new brand and website for the International Diabetes Federation. Simon is originally from Navenby, was the last child to be born at the Sleaford Maternity unit and has led the team at Optima for 28 years now – when there was no wifi, a total of 23,500 websites in the world and the same year some guy called Jeff started his online business - Amazon.