Alex Cooper

Alex Cooper is a former military officer and consultant with a background in project and programme management, resilience and veterans’ affairs.

alex.cooper@aru.ac.uk

Background

Alex served for 23 years in the regular Army in a variety of leadership and management roles, including operational service in the Balkans, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. During Alex's regular service he earned a MA in Defence Studies, with his dissertation exploring the validity of the Military (now Armed Forces) Covenant.

On leaving the Army, Alex worked for the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Veterans' Transition, Lord Ashcroft, as the lead researcher and co-writer of the Veterans’ Transition Review. This Government-sponsored report focused on the provision of transition and post-service support for military personnel and families.

Alex has worked as a consultant, providing subject-matter expertise to a variety of clients in the resettlement/transition and emergency planning, security and resilience sectors. He has also managed a significant resilience contract in the UK nuclear industry. He is an occasional writer/commentator on transition related matters in the media.

Alex is also a volunteer with the 'We Were There' programme, educating school pupils and families about the realities of conflict.

Research interests

The use of accessible technology, particularly social media, to ease the learning and knowledge transfer burden for military personnel conducting personal development in service and during/after transition.

Qualifications

MA in Defence Studies, Cranfield University

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Lead researcher, Veterans’ Transition Review (published 2014)
• SME consultant on the Ministry of Defence Career Transition Partnership tender (2014)
• SME consultant on resilience in UK nuclear industry (2014/15)
• Development and build of Veterans & Families Research Hub (1015-17)
• Development and management of FiMT Research Centre £2.3M grant

Recent presentations and conferences

Development and management of FiMT Research Centre Conference 2018 & 2020 (currently delayed due to coronavirus)

Media experience

Interviews and discussions with a variety of media/war correspondents.