General Sir Richard Shirreff

General Sir Richard Shirreff is an internationally respected military leader, geopolitical strategist and bestselling author. Best known as NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2011 to 2014, he reached the most senior rank attainable by a European officer within the Alliance. Over the course of a distinguished career, he has demonstrated outstanding leadership in complex, high-stakes environments and today brings those lessons to global audiences as a highly regarded speaker on strategy, resilience and values-based leadership.

Commissioned from Sandhurst into the 14th/20th King’s Hussars in 1978, Richard’s career spanned more than three decades, with service in Germany, Canada, Northern Ireland, the Gulf, Hong Kong and Brunei. He went on to command The King’s Royal Hussars, the 7th Armoured Brigade and the 3rd (UK) Division before promotion to Major General in 2003 and subsequent senior roles across Land Command. His journey through the ranks, recognised with honours including a CBE, KCB and the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service, underlined his ability to inspire teams, manage uncertainty and lead with clarity under pressure.

His tenure at NATO marked the pinnacle of his service, where he worked with allied governments, international organisations and NGOs to shape strategic campaigns, including operations in Afghanistan. Richard became known for building bridges across cultural and political divides, aligning competing interests and generating unity of purpose. Following retirement in 2014, he co-founded Strategia Worldwide, a geopolitical and strategic advisory firm, and went on to serve as Executive Vice Chairman of Sigma7. His bestselling book War with Russia, published in 2016, foresaw challenges in the global security environment and has since been translated into eight languages, further cementing his influence as a thought leader.

As a speaker, Richard offers audiences a rare perspective on leadership forged in the crucible of international conflict and diplomacy. He draws powerful parallels between military command and the corporate world, addressing decision-making, scrutiny and the human dimension of leadership. His engaging style, combined with deep experience at the highest levels of NATO and global strategy, makes him an invaluable voice for organisations seeking to understand risk, resilience and how to lead through uncertainty. He is hired for his ability to inspire confidence and equip leaders to navigate complexity with purpose and integrity.