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Watch the full interview with Jesus Moreno
Although Jesus Moreno officially joined Simms & Associates a year after the company was founded, his connection to its beginnings runs much deeper. Before Simms existed, he was already working closely with Amanda on a project and hearing first-hand about her idea to start her own venture.
“I lived those early days almost first-hand,” he explains. “I knew what Amanda had in mind, and I could see the company slowly taking shape through Jorge and the rest of the team.”
When Jesus eventually joined, the environment felt instantly familiar. He already knew most of the people involved, which made the transition feel natural rather than disruptive. While the company has grown significantly since then, he believes its essence remains unchanged.
“The company has changed a lot,” he says, “but the soul of Simms is still the same.”
Challenges that shaped the foundations
Over nearly nine years at Simms & Associates, Jesus has worked on a wide range of projects — many of them complex and demanding. Each one, he says, leaves its mark depending on the moment and the circumstances.
But when asked about the most defining challenge, he doesn’t hesitate to point to a shared experience: the COVID period. At the time, Simms was far smaller than it is today, and the uncertainty affected everyone.
“What really made a difference was how Amanda approached that moment,” he reflects. The way the company navigated those months, he believes, helped establish strong foundations that later enabled Simms to grow once the crisis had passed.
Working closely together
For Jesus, the way people work together at Simms is closely tied to a sense of familiarity and trust. Throughout his career, he has gravitated towards smaller, close-knit organisations, and Simms fits naturally into that preference.
That sense of working “as a family” means knowing that support is always there — not just during the good moments, but especially when things get difficult.
“It’s important to value how a company comes together during the bad moments,” he says. “That’s when you really see how people support one another.”
Unexpected personal growth
One of the biggest surprises for Jesus has been how much working at Simms has shaped him personally, not just professionally. Through international projects and collaborations with people from different countries and cultures, he has gained perspective and maturity.
These experiences, he explains, have reinforced his natural tendency to stay calm and approach challenges thoughtfully — taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and making decisions with care.
Growth without losing what matters
Despite the company’s expansion, Jesus feels that his day-to-day work hasn’t fundamentally changed. Simms’ growth, in his view, has been organic and built on solid foundations, allowing relationships and ways of working to remain consistent even as the team has grown.
“The size is very different now,” he says, “but the way we work with each other hasn’t really changed.”
That continuity is closely linked to what he sees as the company’s enduring spirit: a strong sense of community and a genuine willingness to help. While it’s no longer possible for everyone to support everyone else directly, he believes the responsibility has simply been shared across the organisation.
“If someone at Simms needs help,” he says, “they know there will always be someone there for them.”
Why he’s stayed
After almost a decade, Jesus doesn’t measure his time at Simms in years. Instead, he focuses on whether the reasons that brought him to the company still hold true.
Feeling comfortable, aligned with the company’s values, and part of a community he believes in has meant he’s never felt the need to look elsewhere.
“When you feel you belong,” he explains, “you don’t need to search for anything outside.”
Looking forward
When he thinks about the future, Jesus hopes for continuity above all else. Growth, he believes, only makes sense if it doesn’t come at the expense of the values that have guided Simms from the beginning.
As long as those values remain intact, he’s confident the company is on the right path.
Passing the baton
To close the conversation, Jesus highlights the next voice in our interview series: Christine Ruchay. He describes her as a key figure in Simms’ growth — someone whose adaptability, energy, and positive attitude have made a lasting impact on both the company and the people around her.
Next week, our 10th Birthday Series continues with Christine, as we keep celebrating the people who have shaped Simms & Associates along the way.
One story every week. One year celebrating the people behind Simms & Associates.