Cover Amid constant technological change, Simon Sim chooses to adapt to what is new while holding on to the values that matter to him
Amid constant technological change, Simon Sim chooses to adapt to what is new while holding on to the values that matter to him
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Amid constant technological change, Simon Sim chooses to adapt to what is new while holding on to the values that matter to him
Simon Sim welcomed me into his apartment after returning from his morning run. In the elegant, modern living room, he made coffee while talking comfortably about his daily running routine. From these everyday conversations, the Vice President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics Vietnam gradually shared his thoughts on technology, the market and the changes ahead.
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According to Simon, Vietnam is a market that is difficult to predict with certainty. After years in leadership roles at Samsung, he is now in a position that gives him a close view of how consumers are changing the way they choose and use technology. Rather than holding on to a single view of what will happen next, he considers several possible scenarios and keeps enough flexibility to respond as the market shifts.
“There is a difference between predicting the market and preparing for the market,” Simon says. To understand the market from different perspectives, he speaks with leaders across healthcare, education, banking and retail to understand the broader shifts taking place in Vietnam, while also paying close attention to what his teams and customers are saying on the ground. In his view, these observations sometimes emerge before the data fully captures a change.
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Simon is particularly struck by Vietnamese consumers’ growing appetite for premium smartphones. They tend to keep their phones for longer, but when they upgrade, they are increasingly willing to move into a higher segment. This is especially relevant as smartphones take on more roles in everyday life: working, connecting, creating, entertaining and preserving memories.
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Simon also sees a difference in Vietnam’s younger generation: “They embrace what is new while remaining connected to the past, and they have a broader view of the future.” In his observation, Gen Z has grown up in a Vietnam that is developing rapidly, becoming more connected to the world and offering more possibilities in education, careers and ways of living. This has also changed the way a brand needs to speak to them. For Gen Z, technology is already a natural part of everyday life, so a new product needs to demonstrate what it can help people do better, faster or more creatively. For Simon, that means Samsung has to show consumers what technology can actually do in their lives.
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When asked what he would say to a young person considering a Samsung phone, Simon does not begin by describing a new or unfamiliar feature. Instead, he says: “Choose Samsung because we give you more freedom to make technology fit your life, rather than asking you to adjust your life around the technology.”
But Simon is equally candid: “I don’t expect a young person to believe anything simply because I say it. We still have to prove it through the products, experiences and value we bring.”
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Simon shares that around one in two customers who bought the Galaxy Z Fold8 in Vietnam had switched from another ecosystem. For him, this raises a clearer question about foldables: How can the device become part of everyday life?
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In its early years, foldable phones primarily attracted people who wanted to experience a new technology. Today, the audience interested in the category has broadened, particularly among younger people who use smartphones for creativity, work and self-expression. The larger screen allows users to multitask and gives them more space for creative activities, while AI features continue to expand the ways they interact with and use their devices. “For Samsung, our job is to help more people experience those possibilities,” he says.
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Beyond his work, Simon also uses AI as a way to expand his own learning. He describes AI as a “thinking partner”, using it to learn about investing, philosophy, communication and leadership. He approaches a subject from different angles and keeps asking questions until he gains a clearer understanding. At times, he asks several different models the same question, simply to see how each one approaches the same problem.
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Simon is currently reading Same as Ever by Morgan Housel. The book appeals to him for its central idea: the world can change rapidly, while certain aspects of human behaviour remain constant, including ambition, fear, patience and the way people respond to risk. “We spend so much energy trying to understand what is changing that sometimes we overlook what isn’t changing,” he says. Simon is also particularly struck by a line from the book: “Risk is what’s left over after you think you’ve thought of everything.”
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At Samsung Vietnam, what Simon is most proud of is not a particular decision. “I’m proud of the culture we have built across the organisation.” In his view, people within the team need to understand the direction they are heading in and the reasons behind each decision, while also feeling safe to offer different perspectives, exchange ideas and challenge one another openly. When problems arise, teams tend to work together to find a solution rather than protect their own territory or look for someone to blame.
And when things become difficult, the question Simon wants his team to ask is: “What can we do from here?” A scenario can prove wrong. A plan may have to change. A market can move in a different direction. Teams need enough room to say when an idea is not working, then work together to determine the next step.
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When he moves away from conversations about the market and work, Simon describes his perfect day in fairly simple terms: “A good night’s sleep, a freshly brewed espresso, a productive day at work and a few conversations that made me think or laugh.” He also makes time for exercise whenever he can, while keeping some space at the end of the day to unwind. The moment that brings the day to a close is equally simple: “And if my kids kiss me goodnight before they go to bed, that’s probably when I feel the day has been complete.”
Simon calls this principle “scheduling my priorities”. Dinner with his family, time to read or play chess with his children, exercise and a few quiet moments to unwind are all deliberately protected in his schedule. “I’ve realised that if I keep thinking I’ll have time for those things later, that time usually never comes,” he says.
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“The purpose should remain constant, even when everything else changes.” For Simon, that means using technology to make people’s lives better and contributing to Vietnam. “That would be a chapter worth being part of.”
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