Paul O’Neill is the Director of Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute where his research interests include national security strategy and organisational aspects of Defence and security, including organisational design and human resources.

Previously, a Royal Air Force officer he worked in strategy and human resources roles across Defence, with his last role being the Head of Defence People Strategy. He has undertaken operational tours in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Oman, Turkey and Afghanistan where he was the Senior Advisor on Strategy and Policy to the Afghan Ministry of Interior. He is the editor of ‘Securing the State and Its Citizens; National Security Councils from Around the World’, published by Bloomsbury Press in 2022 and he co-hosts the RUSI Podcast Series, Talking Strategy with Professor Beatrice Heuser.

He is a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and was appointed CBE in the New Year’s Honour List 2021.