Defence Board
Updated 8 January 2026
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Defence Board
The Defence Board is chaired by the Secretary of State and is responsible for top-level strategic leadership of the department, focusing on strategy and plans for generating military forces, including financial planning, performance against those plans, and risk.
The Defence Board is the highest committee in the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for the full range of defence business, other than the conduct of operations.
Non-Executive Board Member roles require a time commitment of up to 30 days per year, remunerated at a daily rate of £833.20.
All appointments and re-appointments have been in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
For further information on the Defence Board, please visit The Ministry of Defence’s Governance page.
2025
December
The Secretary of State for Defence has appointed Robin Marshall as Lead Non-Executive Board Member on the Defence Board for a three-year term from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2028.
Robin has served as Acting Lead NEBM since June 2025, ensuring continuity during a fair and open recruitment process.
In line with section 3.3 of the 2016 Governance Code, the Commissioner for Public Appointments was consulted on these interim arrangements following the early departure of the previous post-holder.
This appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Department, with major initiatives underway, including Defence Reform and the Strategic Defence Review, where Robin contributed as an external expert reviewer.
April
The Secretary of State for Defence has reappointed Kate Guthrie as Non-Executive Director to the Defence Board and People Committee for a further term of 3 years, commencing on 1 January 2025 and ending on 31 December 2027.