In this episode, Kate is joined by Simon Rogerson, founder of Octopus Group, to learn more about his divorce story. Why divorce was harder than building a business This episode begins with Simon sharing his separation story. He candidly explains why he felt his divorce was more stressful than building a business. He and Kate also discuss how friends' and colleagues' reactions to Simon's divorce weren’t always helpful and why ‘staying together for the kids’ might actually do more harm than good. They finish by exploring why the current legal system is broken, gender-biased and can lead to catastrophic consequences for divorcing couples. Trigger warning: this episode covers content that some listeners might find distressing, including poor mental health and suicide. What we cover: Simon’s divorce storyHow reactions from friends and colleagues aren't always helpfulReducing the stigma and shame around divorceWhy staying together for the kids might do more harm than goodHow the current legal system is brokenSimon Rogerson, founder of Octopus Group Simon is the founder and Chief Executive of Octopus Group. Octopus, set up in 2000, employs more than 12,000 people across its financial services, energy and education businesses. Its energy transition business (Octopus Energy) is disrupting a £2 trillion industry by using technology to make the green revolution faster and cheaper for tens of millions of customers. Since establishment in 2015 it has grown to more than ten million customers across twelve countries, raising more than £2 billion in funding from some of the world’s leading investors. Its technology platform, Kraken, now powers some of the world’s leading energy companies, looking after more than 65 million customer accounts. Its financial services business includes Octopus Investments, Octopus Money, Seccl, Octopus Legacy and amicable. Its investment business manages £10 billion, specialising in venture capital, smaller companies and real estate investing. Its education business, Aurora, operates 21 special needs schools across the UK. Prior to setting up Octopus, Simon was on the graduate training programme at Mercury Asset Management (now part of Blackrock). He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and graduated with a first class MA from St Andrews University. More divorce resources You can get in touch with amicable for more information on the legal, financial and parenting aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert today. We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Learn more and sign up here. Thanks for listening - here’s 3 months of the amicable co-parenting app for free! Open this link on your phone, install the app and create your account. Once that’s done, select 'I have a promo code' when setting up your family, enter PODCAST, press ‘apply’ and enjoy staying organised together. #SeparationStory
