Richard Dannatt Keynote Speaker

Lord General Richard Dannatt is an expert on military affairs and leadership, with nearly four decades of active experience.

He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during the Troubles and persevered after a major stroke in 1977 to eventually become the Chief of General Staff.

Lord Dannatt faced considerable controversy over his outspokenness during his tenure as Chief of General Staff as he called for better pay and conditions for soldiers and a reallocation of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, and brokered the agreement with the press that allowed Prince Harry to serve in Afghanistan.

In 2009, Lord Dannatt retired from military service, and was appointed as defence advisor to the Conservative shadow cabinet by then-leader of the opposition David Cameron. Cameron later nominated him for a peerage, where he now sits as a crossbencher.

In 2011, he released his autobiography, “Leading From the Front” (Corgi). It received considerable critical acclaim and became a best-seller. He played a key role in the formation of the charity Help for Heroes in 2007, and has also been a trustee of the Windsor Leadership Trust since 2005 and a patron of Hope and Homes for Children since 2006.