Dr. Simon Miles

Dr Simon Miles is Hong Kong’s leading workplace writing coach and trainer. He has arranged over 500 programs for companies in Asia. His clients have included the HK Monetary Authority, the HK Securities and Futures Commission, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Japan, HSBC Private Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Macquarie Group, Credit Suisse, ING Asia, RBS, SWIFT, Baker & McKenzie, and several departments of the HK Government.
For 5 years, Dr Miles ran the corporate training division of the Centre for Professional and Business English (CPBE) at the HK Polytechnic University. In addition to mentoring trainers and overseeing the development of materials, Dr Miles also conducted two 120-hr programs to develop teaching skills, thus opening up a new and valuable source of talent for the HK training industry.
Also in his role at CPBE, Simon developed new methodologies which took into account the Asian workplace context and allowed busy executives to improve their communication skills while they worked. During this time, he created the ‘Writing Coach’ model. In 2006, he left CPBE to focus on delivering the latest versions of ‘Writing Coach’ through his own company, 'My Writing Coach'.
Before working for CPBE, Simon ran the Greater China division of a UK-based online training business. He set up self-access centers, the biggest of which was for a prominent international trade college in Shanghai. At the beginning of his career, he coordinated overseas Masters Degree programs for a college in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Simon is an examiner for the University of Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exams, including the Business English Certificate (BEC) and the Business Language Testing System (BULATS). He has lived in Malta, France, Israel, Hungary, Malaysia and Hong Kong and has been in Asia since 1993.

Specialist Areas

Distance Coaching
• Online methodologies and learning communities
• Blended modes of delivery
• Self-directed learning and learner motivation

Corporate Communications
• The Asian context
• The use of Plain English in written communication
• Language proficiency auditing and benchmarking

Intercultural Awareness
• Communicating across cultures
• Managing in Asia (for Western Managers)
• Managing Westerners (for Asian Managers)

Qualifications

Simon graduated with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Plymouth (UK) and went on to complete a PhD. Simon soon decided to take up teaching and qualified with a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults (CTEFLA) with a rare Grade ‘A’. Despite not meeting the statutory requirement for 2-3 years work experience, he was immediately nominated for a place on the Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA). He graduated with ‘Distinction’.

Ms Reign Lee

Reign Lee excels in the fields of marketing and consulting. Before joining the Writing Coach team, Reign promoted several other regional companies, one which included sponsorship with the 2008 Olympics. Reign has also coordinated educational programs, including PYP programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Earlier, she worked for the British Consulate-General and even The Late Show with David Letterman. Reign has a graduate Diploma in Law from the University of London. She also has language certificates from Hong Kong University and the Beijing Language and Culture University. She is currently finishing her diploma in Professional Investigation and Research. Upon completion of that, she will resume her degree program in Paralegal Studies.

Mr Bill Lawrence

Mr. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of Colorado where he received both his B.A. and JD degrees. He speaks French (and empathizes with other second language learners) having studied one year at the Université de Bordeaux. He has a masters degree in Business & Taxation- Transnational Practice from the McGeorge School of Law in California. He is a past member of the bar associations of California and Colorado.
Mr. Lawrence has over 20 years’ experience as a lawyer, beginning with several years of general practice in Denver. In the late 80s he moved to Asia where he worked in the Hong Kong office of a Los Angeles firm before taking up in-house positions with first a Hong Kong and later a European multinational corporation. In 2003, he qualified as a business English trainer through the CPBE program. His extensive knowledge and experience in drafting all manner of business and legal documentation gives him an advantage as a corporate trainer, particularly in teaching writing skills to business lawyers. Having lived in Hong Kong for nearly 20 years, he is sensitive to the needs and concerns of local learners.