William "Bill" Blanchard
Director of Field Operations
Bill has more than three decades of distinguished service in foreign affairs, with a focus on security, operations, and counterterrorism, having recently served as Director of Strategic Advantage and Analysis with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), and previously as the Director of Counterterrorism for the FCDO. Bill is extensively travelled with operational experience in hostile environments impacted by conflict and terrorism, including in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Bill is highly experienced in crisis management, having led in the response to major terrorist incidents and threats. He is fluent in English and French and has working knowledge of Russian, Turkish, and Hungarian. He has a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics, and a Master of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford. Bill is married to Meriel, a journalist, editor, and writer. They have two boys and a girl, all at university in Scotland. |