Major General Matthew Cansdale

Director Futures British Army

Major General Cansdale was appointed Director Army Futures in 2025 having spent the previous decade in Force Development roles that included Commander of the Collective Training Group, Head of Future Force Development (following which he was made a CBE), and Assistant Head Equipment Plans. Previously, Major General Cansdale served as Military Assistant to Commander Field Army, as SO2 Leadership at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (where he was responsible for writing the British Army’s first leadership doctrine) and as an SO2 in the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation. Having commissioned into The Parachute Regiment in 1998 he served with both 2 and 3 PARA deploying on operations to Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, to Iraq on the invasion in 2003, and on four tours of Afghanistan. He was Mentioned in Dispatches following command of A Company 3 PARA in 2008 and made an MBE following command of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in 2011 - both in Afghanistan. He commanded 3 PARA through 2015 and 2016. Married to Becks and with four children, he still occasionally plays, but now mostly coaches, a range of ball sport