Simone is a public sector governance expert and strategic policy advice consultant. Simone has worked with all three levels of government and the university sector undertaking high level advice on strategy, public policy reform, good governance and risk management, organisational change, anti-corruption, integrity and accountability in public administration. Simone holds professional admission as a barrister, and is a former senior public servant, including as Deputy Director-General in the Queensland Premier’s department. She has served on boards of government entities and held several senior appointments such as on the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, and a long-serving Clerk of the Queensland Executive Council.

Simone has significant public sector reform experience in policy and legislation and leading public sector experience in constitutional and public law, governance, accountability and integrity including implementation of post-Fitzgerald Inquiry reforms in Queensland. Simone has subsequently been engaged to independently review public integrity systems, integrity bodies and public accountability frameworks. Simone conducted the independent Review of the National Architecture for Schooling in Australia for the COAG Education Council of Ministers in 2019-20. Simone was co-author of the FOI review panel reports that led to the significant Right to Information reforms; and co-led the independent review of all 459 Queensland non-departmental government bodies, recommending a new governance framework that remains government policy more than a decade later. Simone chaired the independent review of Queensland’s police complaints, discipline and misconduct system and its interrelationship with the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Simone was expert member of the Interim Management Committee for the administration of Ipswich City Council following Crime and Corruption Commission investigations into governance and ethical failures that led to the parliamentary dismissal of the Mayor and Councillors. Over this 16-month period, Simone also personally received and managed more than 50 assessed Public Interest Disclosures alleging serious wrongdoing finalising all investigations for final CEO determinations. Simone conducted the most recent independent Strategic Review of the Queensland Ombudsman. Simone has been invited conference speaker on integrity, risk and good governance topics, and co-authored the ANZSOG research papers on public integrity for the Australian Public Service Review recommending a pro-integrity framework for the 2030 Australian Public Service.

Simone was appointed an Ordinary Commissioner of the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission in August 2023.