Admiral Sir Ian Forbes KCB CBE

Admiral Sir Ian Forbes retired from the Royal Navy in 2004 after 38 years of service.

He commanded at every level including the carrier HMS Invincible, the UK Maritime Battle Group, and the NATO Supreme Command in Norfolk, Virginia. In this last appointment, he was responsible for establishing the Supreme Allied Command Transformation. He was involved in conflict and crisis operations off Iceland, in the Falklands War, off Kosovo and in the Gulf.

Sir Ian was awarded the CBE in 1994 for work in the MOD on the crisis in Yugoslavia. He was later awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for operations in command of HMS Invincible off Bosnia in 1995. A holder of the US Legion of Merit, he was the first recipient of the NATO Meritorious Medal for his work on NATO Transformation. He was knighted in 2003.

An alumnus of the Windsor Leadership Trust, he has been a Senior Advisor to global consultancies, and Chairman of several charities, including that of his old school, Eastbourne College, and its associated preparatory school. Currently, he is a Patron of the Disabled Sailors Association.