Chris Paton
Leadership Development
Effective Leadership
Strategic Decision Making

Chris Paton

Revolutionize strategic planning with Chris Paton, speaker and military-corporate strategy expert. Chris works with global organizations to bridge strategy execution gaps and implement intent-based leadership, delivering proven methodologies for Shell, Unilever, Mercedes, and HSBC.

Chris Paton Speaker Biography

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Strategic planning expert combining military and corporate expertise
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Pioneer of corporate wargaming methodology for testing plans
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Author of Harvard Business Review article on fluid planning

Chris Paton is a strategic planning expert who bridges military precision with corporate agility. As a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines and Strategic Adviser to the Ministry of Defense, he transforms high-stakes planning methodology into practical business applications.

Chris co-authored a Harvard Business Review article on planning in fluid situations and has served in operational roles across Afghanistan, the Balkans, and Northern Ireland. His corporate experience spans eight years working with global organizations including Shell, Unilever, Mercedes, and HSBC on strategic implementation challenges.

Organizations facing complex change benefit from Chris's unique approach to making strategy "sticky" through intent-based leadership. He helps businesses close the critical gap between strategic vision and execution through military-inspired techniques like corporate wargaming—a methodology he pioneered with Shell's North Sea Brent Decommissioning program to stress-test plans before costly implementation.

Audiences gain practical frameworks for empowering teams while maintaining leadership authority, concrete methods for stress-testing strategic plans before implementation, and actionable insights on planning effectively in volatile business environments. Chris delivers these lessons through compelling real-world examples from both military operations and corporate transformations.

Book Chris to transform how your organization approaches strategic planning—where precision meets adaptability for measurable results.

Why We Recommend Booking Chris

Chris Paton brings unparalleled expertise in strategic planning, combining military precision from his Royal Marines background with practical business applications that have benefited global organizations like Shell, Unilever, and HSBC. Book Chris to transform your organization's approach to strategic planning and bridge the critical gap between vision and execution through his pioneering techniques like corporate wargaming and intent-based leadership.

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