Defence Consultancy

His 28-year military career included service as ACDS (Logistic Operations) in the UK MoD and logistic command on operations from squadron to brigade level, from Bosnia to Afghanistan. He was also pivotal to many support transformation initiatives across Defence, in the land and joint domains, involving greater industry roles in delivering defence support. Since leaving the Army he has worked for large and small consultancies, advising commercial clients in a variety of sectors in strategy, critical programme management and strategic supply chain. David was the founding chairman of the Royal Logistic Corps Foundation, served as a colonel commandant of the Royal Logistic Corps for 15 years and is currently chairman of the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum Trust.

He has extensive operational experience as both a planner and field logistician and he most recently served as the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff leading the UK MOD’s strategic BOI and force design teams. Overseeing a budget of £38 billion, he was responsible for the coherence of the UK’s defence portfolio including the most sensitive strategic capability programmes. Previously, he was the Deputy to the head of the British Army and led the Royal Logistic Corps.

Originally Tornado aircrew, most recently he was Chief of Defence Intelligence until end 2018, responsible for the provision of strategic intelligence to Defence and Government, ISR co-ordination and counter-intelligence, as well as Defence leadership of offensive and defensive cyber. Previously, Phil commanded one of the two operational RAF Groups, and stood-up the 2.5Bn/yr Joint Forces Command (now Strategic Command) Capability Portfolio.

Air Commodore (Ret'd) Thornber has had tours in strategic imagery analysis, tactical reconnaissance, intelligence-collection management, instructing, on exchange with the US, contingency planning, and in an outer office. His operational experience spans tours in the Afghanistan, Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey supporting air and land ops at tactical and joint operational level.

In 2003, he took command of the RAF’s Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing (now 1 ISR Wing) before returning briefly to Shrivenham as ACSC Directing Staff in 2006. He was promoted to Gp Capt in 2007 as Director Joint Narcotics Analysis Centre and deployed to ISAF Joint Command as Deputy Director Intelligence (Operations) for a year in 2009. He took command of the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre in 2010, moving it to Wyton in 2012 to form the Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre. In 2013, he was posted to Supreme Allied Command HQ as Head Knowledge Management, before being promoted to Air Cdre in 2015 and returning to UK as ACOS J2 at the UK’s Permanent Joint HQ. He became a Commander in the Order of the British Empire in 2014.

In 2016, he was posted to US Central Command as Deputy Director for Intelligence (Operations) as 1* lead for ISR, Targeting and Intelligence Plans and Ops, for which he earned the US’s Legion of Merit (Officer). He returned to the UK in 2018 to Defence Intelligence as Head of Assessment for Middle East and Africa in close support to Ministers and Service Chiefs, and then in 2019 became Head of Defence Intelligence Operations.

He retired from Regular Service in 2021 but has a continuing role in the RAF Reserve as Deputy Director in UK Strategic Command’s Integrated Cyber Electro-Magnetic & Effects Directorate. He is also an independent Defence and Security consultant in financial and technical sectors, is Chair of the RAF Intelligence Association, and President of the Medmenham Association.

His last role was in the National Crime Agency responsible for a portfolio of complex crime fighting technology programmes and transforming the Agency’s IT Services. Prior to this, he was responsible for the delivery of MOD’s £7.2Bn highly secure IT programme supporting 250,000 Users in the UK, Overseas and Deployed locations. His broader career spans senior positions in HMG across Intelligence, International Collaboration in the US, Science and Technology, Counter Terrorism and People Transformation.

A graduate of the Cabinet Office sponsored Major Project Leadership Academy (MPLA) and an experienced Cabinet Office High Risk Review Team Leader, he has been responsible for leading a number of strategic reviews of Government Major Projects in CT Policing, FCO, MOD, NDA and HMRC. Throughout his career as a leader Brian has always had a strong interest in developing talent and through active coaching, he continues to enable many senior leaders reach their potential both in industry and Government.

within the Defence and Security community including with numerous allies and partners including NATO. As a strategic thinker and innovator, he has been at the forefront of a number of Defence’s force development initiatives including multi-domain integration, space, cyberspace, modern deterrence, CBRN defence as well as the introduction into service of some novel and highly classified capabilities.

He has published numerous articles, participated in a number of international conferences, as well as having been a member of a UK-US-Russia and China Track 2 initiative to improve military cyber security understanding. Philip has been the 1* lead in DCDC on doctrine, air, space and cyberspace matters and previously held the Chief of Staff appointment and the leadership of defence experimentation through the Integrated Warrior programme from within Joint Forces Development. He holds a MPhil in international relations from the University of Cambridge. He is a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies and a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course. Philip is currently the RAF senior directing staff at RCDS where he leads on strategy and professional military education. He has just published the colleges strategy handbook - making strategy better.