Mark Phillips
Position: Associate Fellow
Mark Phillips was Head of the Land Operations and Capabilities Programme between 2010 and 2012. In this role he was responsible for leading policy analysis, independent research, expert discussion groups and high-level conferences.
Prior to joining RUSI, Mark was Chief of Staff to Baroness Neville-Jones during her time as Shadow Security Minister and National Security Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition and, after the 2010 general election, Security Minister. In this capacity he managed all security legislation in Parliament, was speechwriter to Baroness Neville-Jones, and had a central role in developing the Conservative Party's national security policies and post-election implementation plan. His remit covered all aspects of national security, including the National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence and Security Review, machinery of government, intelligence, counter terrorism, resilience, Olympic security, stabilisation and conflict prevention, procurement and the role of industry in defence and security. Mark co-authored the Conservative Party's National Security Green Paper, A Resilient Nation (January 2010).
Between 2006 and 2008, Mark advised the Shadow Minister for Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development in the House of Lords and was an adviser to the National and International Security Policy Group. He has also worked with RUSI and the UK Defence Forum on defence acquisition and Asia security issues.
Mark is an associate of King's College London and a graduate of their Department of War Studies. He has lectured to MA War Studies students on the Strategic Defence and Security Review, military covenant and role of Parliament in national security.
RUSI articles and analysis by this author
Where Next for UK Cyber-Security?
11 Dec 2012
A national-security cloud on the horizon? The UK government should take the lead in setting cyber-security standards both within and beyond the UK's borders
Workshop Report: Returning Sovereign Wealth
3 Nov 2011
An examination of the opportunities for repatriating and reinvesting stolen assets, specifically considering the contribution of private investigators to the recovery of stolen assets
Reform Underway
12 Aug 2011
Mark Phillips assesses the task that lies ahead for the Defence Reform Unit as it prepares to present its report to the government in July 2011.
Rebalancing the UK's armed forces
21 Jul 2011
The Ministry of Defence has indicated the need for reservists to become integral to all defence tasks, resulting in the significant rebalancing of the structure of the armed forces by 2020. Undoubtedly there will be risks involved, but these are manageable provided there is political and institutional willingness to develop a more sophisticated approach to force generation.