Tobias Ellwood is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoStrategy Initiative. He previously served as a Conservative member of the UK Parliament, where he held roles in the Whips’ Office and served as shadow tourism minister while in opposition.

In government, he was appointed the prime minister’s envoy for the NATO Summit in 2014. He later served as minister for the Middle East and North Africa from 2014 to 2017 and as defence minister from 2017 to 2019. He was elected chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee from 2019 to 2023. In this role, he led the committee on dozens of domestic and international visits and published reports on future global threats, defense procurement, the advance of gray zone warfare, Ukraine, and the Middle East. Before entering Parliament, Ellwood served in the British Army with the Royal Green Jackets. He continues to serve as a reservist.

Born in New York during his father’s United Nations posting, Ellwood received his early education in Vienna and earned his undergraduate degree from Loughborough University. He holds a master’s degree from City University Business School in London and completed the senior executive course in national and international security at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Ellwood is a dual UK–US citizen, a licensed private pilot, and an Eagle Scout. He is a frequent media commentator and writer on defense, international security, and geopolitics in both UK and international outlets.