Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE

Acknowledged as one of the world's leading chemical weapons experts, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is currently focusing on Syria supporting the UK Government and International community in all aspects of removing chemical weapons from the war torn country. As such, Hamish is much in demand in the media world.

< View All Speakers

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is Chief Operating Office of SecureBio Ltd a commercial company offering CBRN Resilience, consultancy and deployable capabilities.  Hamish set up SecureBio in 2011 after 23 years' service in the British Army.  SecureBio have an impressive list of blue chip clients globally and look after 90% of the World's media operating in Syria from a CBRN resilience perspective.  They are also response consultants for the CATLIN CBRN Insurance policy and run the unique Biological Immediate Action Service to mitigate biological threats and hoaxes.  Hamish is helping and advising civilians in Syria on Chemical weapons matters on behalf of a number of NGOs and has deployed to the Region a number of times since the current conflict began.

Previously Commanding Officer of the UK CBRN Regiment and NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion, Hamish is one of the most operationally experienced CBRN practitioners in the World and is regarded as one of the leading experts in Chemical and Biological Counter Terrorism and warfare.  His operational deployments have included 1st Gulf War, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and was appointed OBE in 2005 for exceptional performance. Hamish advises UK Government at the very highest level on CBRN, and frequently appears on the BBC, Sky News, AJE and CBS News as their expert commentator on Syria chemical weapons and all things CBRN.

Hamish is a visiting lecturer in Disaster Management at Bournemouth University.

A veteran of both Gulf Wars and tours in Iraq and Afghanistan Hamish commanded the CBRN Regt in Iraq and around the World conducting a number of highly secret operations some of which are now declassified.  During a tour of Afghanistan with a small group he set out to destroy 50 tonnes of highly toxic chemicals under the noses of the Taliban.

Hamish left the Army in 2011 and set up SecureBio a specialist security business covering CBRN counter terrorism.  He has worked extensively with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Northern Iraq to decontaminate Halabja, hit with chemical weapons by Saddam Hussein in 1988.  This is ongoing and dangerous work where SecureBio are developing unique procedures to rid Halabja of Mustard gas and Sarin contamination.

SecureBio have been working in Syria and around with the international media since Feb 12.  Hamish has travelled there often and has reported with the BBC on some of the very high profile chemical attacks.  He has also worked with US networks and British newspapers to smuggle chemical samples out of Syria for verification in UK and France.  SecureBio continue to support and advise the media in Syria and Hamish is supporting the UK Government and International community to remove chemical weapons from Syria.

Hamish frequently appears on the BBC, Sky News, ITN and global media and he held the World 'press up' record, briefly, in 1991.

 

more speakers Load more speakers