Richard Shirreff

Sir Richard Shirreff served in the British army for 37 years, before becoming NATO’s Deputy Supreme Commander Europe. He is now an independent strategic consultant with years of diplomatic, political and managerial experience.

Born in Kenya, Shirreff later graduated from Oxford before joining the army. He rose through the ranks, becoming lieutenant general in 2007 before being knighted in 2010 for his services. He became known for his loyalty and exceptional ability to carry out his duty, which paved the way for his appointment as the Deputy Supreme Commander Europe in 2011. He served in the position for 3 years, and was made an honorary colonel at Oxford University. Shirreff was also an honorary colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, Colonel Commandment of the Royal Armoured Corps and Colonel of the Kings Royal Hussars.

Since leaving the military, Shirreff has served on the Advisory Board of the not-for-profit security company Genderforce, which aims to tackle gender based and sexual violence in conflict zones. He is also a founding partner in the consultancy firm Strategia Worldwide who provide advice on risk management and worldwide strategy. His years of experience working in high pressure conflict zones and delivering the highest level of political and geographic tactics mean he is a leadership expert. In 2017 he published a book, titled 2017: War with Russia in which he discusses frankly the possibility of war with Russia. He is known for his candour and honesty when speaking about his experiences.