Simone’s parents hail from Ghana, her father Kobina Bresi-Ando comes from Mumford near Apam in the Central Region of Ghana, whilst her mother Margaret Bresi-Ando (nee Agyrifo) comes from Anum Tosen in the Eastern Region of Ghana. They both emigrated to the UK in the 60’s.
Simone was born on 25th November 1979 at Lewisham Hospital. She was the youngest of three girls, Gifty, Joanna and Simone.
Simone’s early childhood and formative years were benchmarked against the background of Christian standard. She attended the Walworth Methodist Church where together with Joanna they were confirmed into the church.
Simone attended Holbeach Primary School, then moved on to Prendergast Girls Secondary school, where she became the Head Girl in her final year. She continued her education at Christ the King Sixth form where she obtained her “A” – Levels.
Simone gained admission to Coventry University where she studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Culture and Media, graduating in 2001.
Simone’s working career is long and varied, starting from her teenage years working a Saturday job at Karen Millen to her more recent businesses/brands that emerged from her roles as a women's empowerment activist, adjunct professor, serial entrepreneur, broadcaster, and social commentator.
Her most notable achievements in the corporate world of work were:
Working as the Personal Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister (John Prescott) where she acted as the first point of contact for his private office, managed all forms of correspondence, administered highly sensitive information, and managed a team of three administrators.
As Simone gained more experience in the world of public relations, she secured the role Global Corporate PR manager for Sony Ericsson, where she created, managed, and implemented all corporate PR activities across Europe, Middle East and the US.
Most recently Simone was the Senior Brand Project Manager for Viacom International Media Networks. Simone helped to create powerful content and talking points for Black Entertainment Television (BET) to over 40 million homes throughout the UK, France, Africa, and South Korea via linear and social means.
Away from the corporate world, Simone called herself a “serial entrepreneur” and demonstrated this through the variety of businesses and brands she developed.
Her first venture in 2002 was as a co-founder of Push- an events and PR company which she set up with friends.
She later set up I’mPossible in 2009. A global CIC and social enterprise with the primary aim to educate and empower women and girls of colour globally. Doing so by celebrating, highlighting, and promoting the achievements of this group by showcasing their successes and life stories.
At heart always a PR expert, Simone became the Principal Consultant at Bresi-Ando Consults LLC. Set up in 2010, it is a global, boutique PR consultancy specialising in growing awareness, positioning, and connecting brands with customers and stakeholders for a variety of clients in professional services, finance, consumer tech, entertainment, and the arts.
Simone’s most recent venture was Bresi-Ando Tools for Living. Set up in 2017, Bresi-Ando Tools For Living is a lifestyle brand that creates a variety of products steeped in a West African, ancestral and spiritually centred ethos.
Using a playbook approach, the brand creates specific 'tools' such as the Adinkra Intention Candle range, Adinkra greeting cards and the first ever, Adinkra Ancestral Guidance cards which use the ancient, visual, philosophy-based, communication system of the Akan people of Ghana and Gyaman people of Côte d'Ivoire called 'Adinkra'.
Since 2015 Simone had lived in Brooklyn, New York fulfilling a lifetime’s ambition to live in America.
She loved New York and was surrounded by a great network of friends who helped her to settle in and make it home.
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of remote working, Simone got herself a puppy – “Bowie Hendrix Bresi-Ando”, a French Bulldog. He was a constant companion to Simone, and she loved him dearly, he will be missing his mama. True to form there was no way that Simone was not going to miss a PR opportunity and duly she created for Bowie his very own Instagram page “@bowie_adogslife”. Chronicling his life and journey as he grew bigger.
Bowie was accepted by the rest of the family and he regularly had Zoom sessions with his cousin – “Jesse Silver” – Joanna’s cat!
Simone’s untimely death on 5th January 2021 came as a shock to all her family and friends. Her passing will be forever mourned, however her amazing legacy and gifts to the world shall live on.
Rest well, beautiful one.