Bill Kingdon

Managing Director, International Cotton Association

Bill Kingdon has lived and worked overseas for much of his professional life as a soldier and senior leader in UK Defence. Bill and his family have been based in Washington DC, Germany and Cyprus and enjoyed being part of those communities and cultures. Bill learned the benefits of collaboration and partnering as a member of international teams all over the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina. As brigade commander, Bill prepared large organisations for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the British Army in Germany; managed a varied and fascinating strategic portfolio as the chief operating officer for British Forces in Cyprus and provided the focus for collaboration between international organisations, the Afghan government, diplomats and NATO in Kabul. Most recently, as a consultant, Bill led a team acting as a catalyst for cultural change within the British Army. Bill holds masters' degrees in law from Cambridge and defence studies from King's College, London.