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Simon Zinger
Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer
Entain
When Simon Zinger reflects on his career, he doesn’t describe a carefully plotted route to the GC’s office. Instead, he talks about movement — across borders, cultures, and corporate environments — and about learning to stay open-minded even when the path ahead felt uncertain. Now Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer at Entain, Zinger brings a distinctly global mindset to leadership.
“My family fled the Soviet Union in the 1970s,” Zinger recalls. “I grew up in Canada, went to McGill University, graduated from law school in the US and started my legal career in San Francisco.”
That early sense of displacement and adaptation would become a defining feature of his professional journey. After two years in private practice at Baker McKenzie, Zinger made the leap in-house, relocating his young family to Paris for his first corporate role with Vivendi. From there, his career took him to London, New York, and back again through senior roles at Aegis and Dentsu, before a move five years ago to Entain — and an unexpected relocation to Gibraltar.
“I didn’t know anything about Gibraltar or the southwest region of Spain at the time,” he says. “Now I know quite a lot — and it’s been an exciting and interesting adventure.”
Learning to embrace the unknown
For Zinger, career progress has never been about certainty. “You never stop learning,” he says. “Even when you’re anxious or lack clarity, it’s best to go in with a positive attitude. You will find opportunities, even in the most nerve-wracking moments.”
He encourages others not to shy away from moments of ambiguity. “Don’t be afraid of those times in your career when you’re not quite sure where it will take you,” he says. That mindset — leaning into uncertainty rather than avoiding it, learning to be resilient, and showing up with a brave face — is something he believes lawyers are particularly well equipped to do.
“We have an amazing ability to navigate difficult situations and find positivity in the end,” he notes.
Leadership: Learning from what not to do
Zinger is candid about the fact that his leadership philosophy has been shaped as much by negative examples as positive ones.
“Earlier in my career, I saw the worst kinds of leaders,” he says. “That taught me how not to treat people and helped me understand the right way and the wrong way.” Rather than claiming to have mastered leadership, he describes it as an ongoing process — one grounded in observation, reflection, and humility.
Rejecting the “one-size-fits-all” GC
One of the most striking themes in Zinger’s reflections is his rejection of the idea that there is a single model for what a general counsel should be.
“When I was younger, I had an image of what a GC should look like,” he says. “Holding ourselves up to a template sets unrealistic expectations.” Instead, he advocates for individuality. “I don’t think we should strive to be one kind of GC,” Zinger says. “We should bring who we are, while continuing to improve.”
Building teams for complexity
At Entain, Zinger leads legal, compliance and customer care teams operating in highly regulated, fast-changing environments. When recruiting and developing talent, he looks beyond credentials.
“A lot of it comes down to personality,” he explains. “Some people thrive in complexity and uncertainty, and can keep smiling and being kind through the adversity.”
His role, he says, is twofold: to support and rally people through challenging moments while also creating an environment where they can succeed and support each other. “It’s more about personality than experience or skill set, or what law firm you worked for, or what company you come from,” Zinger adds.
Technology, ethics, and the human element
Like many legal leaders, Zinger is closely watching the rise of AI and data-driven tools. While he sees their value, he remains clear-eyed about their limits.
“They’re useful tools,” he says, “but they don’t replace human judgment and understanding how to do things responsibly. It remains a very human-led team.”
That emphasis on judgment and ethics also shapes his view of the GC’s role within leadership teams. “The GC shouldn’t be the only conscience of the business,” Zinger says. “But perhaps the GC is one of the better people to be a role model — a moral compass.”
He points to the General Counsel Oath as a helpful framework and roadmap for personal behaviors that can support GCs as role models within their organizations, including responsibility, ethical thinking, pro bono work, and leadership beyond pure legal risk.
Advice to his younger self
Asked what advice he would give to his younger self, Zinger doesn’t hesitate.
“I would still tell younger Simon to move to France and continue that journey,” he says. “And speak up sooner. It took me a while to develop the self-confidence to feel strong enough, courageous enough, to have a voice and speak directly about what I was feeling.”
Today, when he sees younger lawyers on his own team questioning assumptions and challenging the status quo, he encourages it. “I love that they’re speaking up and have the confidence to challenge others,” he says.
A journey still in progress
For Simon Zinger, the GC journey is not defined by titles or destinations, but by mindset — a commitment to curiosity, ethical leadership, and continual growth. As legal teams face increasing complexity, his reflections offer a reminder that adaptability, individuality, and human judgment remain at the heart of effective legal leadership.
“I’m still on that journey,” he says — a sentiment that captures both the humility and momentum that continue to shape his path. Join ACC for more member profiles!
Disclaimer: The information in any resource in this website should not be construed as legal advice or as a legal opinion on specific facts, and should not be considered representing the views of its authors, its sponsors, and/or ACC. These resources are not intended as a definitive statement on the subject addressed. Rather, they are intended to serve as a tool providing practical guidance and references for the busy in-house practitioner and other readers.
Disclaimer: The information in any resource in this website should not be construed as legal advice or as a legal opinion on specific facts, and should not be considered representing the views of its authors, its sponsors, and/or ACC. These resources are not intended as a definitive statement on the subject addressed. Rather, they are intended to serve as a tool providing practical guidance and references for the busy in-house practitioner and other readers.
