Julian Free spent 31 years in the Army, during which he spent much of his time deployed to global hot spots such as Kuwait, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan in UK, UN and NATO appointments.  He ended his service as Commandant Joint Services Command & Staff College at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.  He was appointed MBE in 2001, OBE in 2009 and CBE in 2012.  He holds a B.Ed (Hons) from the University of Exeter and an MA in Defence Studies from Cranfield University. Responsible for the University’s Regional Strategy Julian’s role is to ensure the University meets its civic responsibilities and commitments to making a real difference to people’s lives, increasing opportunities and supporting the region’s prosperity agenda. Julian is also responsible for engagement and business development with the Defence & Security Sector, a role he also pursues for the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.