Leading through security and defence change

From Strategy to Delivery: The UK Defence Challenge with General Sir Richard Barrons CBE, KBE

Joel Grundy speaks with General Sir Richard Barrons about the UK’s changing security and economic landscape following the Strategic Defence Review and Spending Review. Together, they explore resilience, defence capability, public sector trade-offs and the leadership challenges organisations face as geopolitical uncertainty, cyber threats and societal pressures continue to intensify. Watch the full discussion below.

Reading time: 3 minutes

In this wide-ranging conversation, Joel Grundy, Partner at Q5, sits down with General Sir Richard Barrons, CBE, KBE, and Co-Chair of Universal Defence and Security Solutions (UDSS), to explore the profound implications of the UK’s evolving security and economic landscape, and what it means for leaders & organisations across defence, wider government and industry.

Against the backdrop of the Strategic Defence Review and Spending Review, the discussion examines how the UK is entering a new era defined by heightened geopolitical competition, state confrontation and increasing pressure on public finances. Together, Joel and General Barrons discuss the consequences of greater focus on defence, from questions of national resilience and industrial capability to the trade-offs required across wider public expenditure.

The conversation also explores the shift towards a “whole-of-society” approach to security, where organisations, institutions and citizens alike must adapt to a more uncertain and contested world. Alongside the strategic context, the discussion focuses on the practical implications for organisations: the need to move faster, build resilience, embrace innovation and rethink traditional operating models.

From cyber threats and misinformation to mobilisation, productivity and long-term capability planning, General Barrons offers a candid assessment of the scale of change now required, and why organisations cannot afford to respond at the speed of their own comfort.

Timely, thought-provoking and highly relevant for senior leaders, this interview provides a clear perspective on the strategic challenges shaping the UK’s future and the leadership response needed to meet them.