Her Story
About Simay
Simay Simon is the founder of Human as Is, an organizational diagnostics studio based in Palm Bay, Florida, where she helps enterprise leaders understand the human dynamics behind workplace metrics. Originally from Turkey, she built her early academic foundation in art history at Hacettepe University before relocating to the United States, an experience that pushed her to reinvent her career path and embrace new challenges. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Marketing Communications from the University of Denver, strengthening the communication skills that now underpin her work with leadership teams, and she continues to deepen her expertise through ongoing studies in human behavior at Harvard Extension School.
With more than a decade of experience spanning talent management, workforce planning, and employee engagement, Simon has held progressively senior roles at organizations including Walmart, AAR, L3Harris Technologies, and OCHIN, Inc., where she currently serves as Manager of People Experience and Belonging. Across these positions, she has led enterprise-wide inclusion and engagement strategies, built a talent analytics function from the ground up, and advised senior leadership on culture and belonging initiatives. Holding a SHRM-CP certification and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certificate from the University of South Florida, she has consistently paired data-driven frameworks with a deep commitment to understanding people rather than relying solely on numbers.
Driven by the belief that behind every workplace metric is a human being, Simon founded Human as Is to move beyond conventional engagement surveys and uncover the real behaviors, relationships, and dynamics shaping organizations. Through her signature offering, The AHA Moment, she places teams inside role-play scenarios to observe authentic behavior, then delivers leaders a confidential Private Intelligence Brief built on her Six Signals methodology. Guided by humility, empathy, and grace, and by her personal mantra to "belong boldly, never just fit in," she continues to challenge leaders to look past surface-level results and recognize the human stories at the heart of every organization.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Simay
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from a leader I didn't always see eye to eye with. She taught me not to take things personally in business, and that lesson shaped my own personal mantra: belong boldly, never just fit in.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this industry to stop focusing so heavily on education and collecting certifications. Instead, take a moment to look within yourself and understand how you can bring meaningful work into people-centered work. Before chasing the next credential, ask yourself how you can genuinely contribute through people.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is that there are thousands of consulting firms, yet the work has become increasingly automated and reduced to numbers, which has taken the human factor out of it. That's why I created a diagnostic game that refocuses attention on human behavior and gives leaders a private intelligence brief with real, actionable insight into their teams.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me, both professionally and personally, are humility, empathy, and grace. I try to keep it humble, lead with empathy, and extend grace to others, while seeing mistakes for what they are, keeping the human aspect at the center, and taking accountability.
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