Brigadier Matthew Cansdale

Head Future Force Development British Army

Brig Cansdale commissioned into The Parachute Regiment in 1998. His time at Regimental Duty in 2 and 3 PARA was interspersed with operational commitments, deploying to Northern Ireland in 1998 and 2004, Sierra Leone in 2002, to Iraq for the invasion in 2003, and four times to Afghanistan in 2002, 2008, 2010/11 and 2014/15. He was Mentioned in Despatches following command of A Company 3 PARA in Southern Afghanistan in 2008 and made an MBE following command of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Helmand Province in 2010/11. He served as Commanding Officer 3 PARA 2015-16.

At Staff, Brig Cansdale served in the Defence Equipment and Support organization and as SO2 Leadership at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was responsible for writing the British Army’s first leadership doctrine. Following Command, he served as Military Assistant to Commander Field Army. After service as Assistant Head Equipment Plans and a brief stint in Ground Manoeuvre he moved, in 2020, to be Head Future Force Development.

Married to Becks and with four young children Brig Cansdale still occasionally plays, but now mostly coaches, a range of ball sports.