Simon Gunning
CEO, Calm
Chief Executive Officer, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Simon has led the digital, marketing and commercial divisions of global organisations including Virgin
Media TV, EMI Music, the BBC, Bacardi Global Brands and BBH.
He became CEO of CALM in January 2017, and has pursued a strategy to transform CALM in to a
purpose-driven commercial organisation.
Suicide is the single largest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with 12 men every day choosing to take
their own lives.
In this context, CALM works to provide a positive influence across society that will allow men to
enjoy life and embrace positive masculinity, helping them and their friends, their partners, their
families, and their colleagues to avoid ever having to use crisis services.
Partnerships with brands and agencies drove huge growth in CALM’s profile and revenue in 2017,
with organisations such as Adam & Eve, Dentsu Aegis, Havas, BMB, Top Man, Unilever, Tesco and ITV
helping drive awareness and spread the message that all men and women are entitled to enjoy a life
less miserable.
CALM provides a free helpline for people at the point of crisis. The service currently handles nearly
9000 calls and chats a month and directly prevented 675 suicides in 2018.
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