Chris Deverell

Sir Chris Deverell founded Deverell Innovation Ventures to help complex organisations to innovate, after a first career in the British Army. He has a portfolio of advisory and non executive roles in Venture Capital (NightDragon Security), Academia (Council of Oxford University), and a range of Artificial Intelligence businesses. He is also a Mentor in the Creative Destruction Lab at the Saïd Business School in Oxford, an Executive Coach, and a Leadership and Strategy Consultant.

Chris began his military career with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, stationed on the Inner German Border during the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Chris spent the first half of his Army service at regimental duty in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belize, and Germany, interspersed with staff appointments in the Head Office of the Ministry of Defence and education at Staff College and the Royal Military College of Science. This period included serving as a Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence.

From 2002 to 2007, Chris served in operational roles in the Permanent Joint Headquarters, in HQ US Central Command in Florida and Qatar, and in command of 4 Armoured Brigade, initially in Iraq and then in Germany. From 2007 to 2016, Chris was employed in a range of capability development and acquisition appointments. In 2011, he joined the Board of Defence Equipment and Support, initially as Strategy Director, and then, on promotion to Lieutenant General in 2013, as Chief of Materiel (Land). In parallel, he served on the Army Board as the Quartermaster General. Promoted General in 2016, Chris became one of the UK Chiefs of Staff, as Commander Joint Forces Command, with responsibility for Special Forces, Intelligence, Cyber, Defence use of Space, Information Systems and Services, Operational Command and Control, Logistic Operations, Education, Medical Services, and the UK’s joint Operating Bases across the globe. He retired from the British Army in 2019.

Chris was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1990 and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2015. He has a Diploma from the International Olympic Committee for services to Winter Sports (Bobsleigh and Skeleton) and a Masters in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.