About

Air Vice-Marshal Sean Corbett CB MBE retired from the Royal Air Force in September 2018 after a 30-year career as a professional intelligence officer, where he reached the pinnacle of his profession. On his departure from the RAF, he established a Defence, Security and Intelligence Directorate within a ‘new space’ geospatial intelligence company, Earth-i. There, he advanced innovative AI applications to earth observation data, optimised for the defence and security sector and instigated the concept of ‘intelligence as a service’, leveraging a wide spectrum of publicly available information to answer challenging questions for the sector.   

He has a strong NATO background, having held the influential roles of Principal Staff Officer to the Deputy Supreme Commander, Europe, and as the deputy UK Military Representative to NATO. Continuing the theme of working closely with allies and partners, his last appointment in the military was two years in Washington DC as the first non-US Deputy Director of a major US Intelligence Agency. His primary role here was to optimise intelligence-sharing with US allies by developing and implementing a transformational change programme throughout the US intelligence community.  

Sean is a Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the world's oldest independent think tank on international defence and security, with whom he has had a strong working relationship throughout his career. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies and has a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies.