Associate Fellow, Chatham House

Policy Leaders Fellow Alumnus, Centre for Science and Policy

Peter Watkins is a Visiting Senior Fellow, London School of Economics IDEAS; a Visiting Professor, King's College London; an Associate Fellow, Chatham House; and a Non-Resident Fellow with the Atlantic Council.

He was formerly the Director General Strategy & International (2017-18) and Director General Security Policy (2014-17) in the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). In these roles, he was responsible for strategic policy & planning; the Defence dimension of the UK's cross-government response to Russia and China; defence relations with NATO, the EU and with key bilateral allies; and defence policy aspects of cyber, space and novel technologies.

Previous roles included Director General of the Defence Academy (2011-14); Director of Operational Policy (2008-11); Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary (2001-03) and Counsellor (Defence & Aerospace), British Embassy Bonn/Berlin (1996-2000). He was a Visiting Fellow, Harvard University (2006-07).

Peter was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge University, where he studied History and Political Philosophy. He is an ancien of the NATO Defense College (1993-94); and was a Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University for the 2006-07 academic year. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Liveryman of the Coachmakers’ Company and a Member of the Institute of Directors.