Tom Tugendhat Keynote Speaker

UK Security Minister (2022-2024). Modernised government powers for the first time in a generation with the National Security Act 2023.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (2017–2022).
British Army Veteran and Former Military Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the principal adviser to the professional head of the UK Armed Forces.

Tom Tugendhat's Biography

Tom Tugendhat is a British national security and foreign affairs leader who brings frontline experience and Cabinet-level decision-making to the stage. The Conservative MP for Tonbridge since 2015 and Security Minister (2022–2024), he led Britain’s response to state threats, terrorism and cyber-attacks, authoring the landmark National Security Act 2023, the first major overhaul of UK national security law in a generation. A former British Army lieutenant colonel, he is known for clear-eyed analysis of the risks reshaping global politics – and the practical choices leaders must make in response.

As Security Minister, Tugendhat oversaw intelligence efforts against hostile states, Islamist radicalisation and organised cybercrime, driving a tougher line on Russian, Chinese and Iranian activity and leading work to disrupt online child exploitation and fraud. His uncompromising stance on authoritarian regimes has seen him sanctioned by Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran. In Parliament he chaired the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (2017–2022), leading influential inquiries such as “Moscow’s Gold,” “China’s Rules,” “A Cautious Embrace” and “Encoding Values, ” which reshaped UK thinking on corruption, China and the strategic power of technology.

A veteran of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tugendhat helped establish the National Security Council of Afghanistan and the first civilian administration in Helmand Province, working in Persian and Pashto, service recognised with an MBE.

His conversations with technology pioneer Bill Raduchel informed their 2023 book The New Technology State, which explores how digital power is transforming states, markets and individual freedom. He is a distinguished fellow at Hudson Institute in the US, and works with India’s Observer Research Foundation. He studied Arabic and Islamic theology. His commentary appears regularly in outlets including the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs and The Spectator.

On stage, Tugendhat connects leadership and decision making in geopolitics, technology and business in a style that is direct, informed and globally engaged. He equips leaders with the context and judgement to navigate uncertainty, assess risk, and strengthen organisational resilience and democratic values in an era of accelerating change. He is fluent in French.

Geopolitical risk and the new era of strategic competition

National security, resilience and crisis leadership

Hybrid threats and hostile-state activity

China, technology and the future balance of global power

He led UK national security at Cabinet level, giving an insider’s view of how to assess threats, manage crises and protect critical infrastructure, and maintains close relationships with partners around the world.
He led the Foreign Affairs Select Committee through a period of rising geopolitical tension, helping leaders understand how decisions in Westminster and Washington reverberate through global markets and supply chains.
He connects front-line military experience in Iraq and Afghanistan with today’s cyber and hybrid conflicts, equipping organisations to think more clearly about risk, resilience and responsibility.
He is an experienced media commentator and parliamentary communicator, helping executives refine the narratives they use with regulators, investors and the public on sensitive security and geopolitical issues.
He translates complex issues such as China’s influence, Russian aggression and technology-state rivalry into practical questions for boards, strategy teams and risk committees.