Andy McNab

Andy McNab is a former SAS soldier who was the commander of the Bravo Two Bravo patrol during the Gulf War turned best-selling author. He was the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier after being awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) upon leaving the SAS in 1993. During his time serving, Andy and three of his comrades in Bravo Two Bravo were taken hostage in Iraq. After being subjected to unimaginable torture, Andy was eventually released six weeks after his original capture. Now, Andy advises and lectures security and intelligence agencies around the world and even teaches civilian actors on how to act like soldiers.

Andy certainly had a childhood which is very different from you and I – Andy was found in abandoned in a carrier bag on the steps on Guy’s Hospital, London and was a self-described ‘delinquent’ at school. He then became a boy soldier and served in the Green Jackets regiment as an infantry soldier after going through the army’s education system – a system which changed his life after originally joining with the reading ability of an 11-year-old. After serving with the Green Jackets for 6 years, Andy applied to be transferred Special Air Service (SAS) B Squadron 22 where he remained for the rest of his career. Andy has taken part in covert and overt military operations, including counterterrorism and drug operations throughout Northern Ireland, the Middle and Far East, and South and Central America.

Having trained as a special counterterrorism, weapons, tactics, covert surveillance, prime target elimination, VIP protection and gathering information and data in hostile environments, Andy was given the command of the SAS patrol ‘Bravo Two Bravo’. Captured and tortured in Iraq, Andy received 6 months of medical treatment before he was back on active service. Andy told the story of his experiences from the years he spent in the army in his book ‘Bravo Two Zero’ which subsequently became the best-selling war book of all time with over 1.7 million copies being sold. He is also the author of several fiction thrillers including ‘Line of Fire’, ‘Silent Weapon – A street Soldier Novel’ and ‘Cold Blood’. He is also the Director of a security company where he runs a specialist training course for members of non-governmental organisations working in hostile environments.

As one of a kind in his field, with security expertise which are highly sought-after by security firms and Hollywood alike, Andy has been part of numerous projects outside of military including spending 5 months working with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Val Kilmer. Andy is also a campaigner and spokesperson for promoting literacy in young adults and prisoners, and is an ambassador for the charity The Reading Agency. In recognition of his services to literary and charity, Andy was awarded a CBE in 2017. Having been through hell in Iraq, Andy McNab is able to educate others on resilience, and share his security tips to help organisations all over the world. Do not miss your chance to Hear Andy McNab speaking.