Chris Kilford

Dr. Chris Kilford, CD, is a member of the national board of the Canadian International Council (CIC) and, since 2017, has also served as President of the CIC Victoria branch, the largest branch in Canada with over 700 members. He is also the former editor of CIC’s online foreign policy magazine Open Canada. Chris holds a PhD in history from Queen’s University, specializing in civil–military relations in the developing world. His dissertation, The Other Cold War – Canadian Military Assistance to the Developing World 1945–1975, was published by the Canadian Defence Academy Press in 2010. Today, Chris is a Fellow with the Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy and he is a sessional professor at the Canadian Forces College and Royal Roads University where he teaches geopolitical focused courses. In addition, Chris is a Senior Advisor - Government and Defence Relations with Vectors Defence. Chris also enjoyed a distinguished 36‑year career in the Canadian Armed Forces. As an artillery officer, he commanded 4th Air Defence Regiment and later held several senior appointments in National Defence Headquarters including with the team that helped craft the 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy, Acting Director Future Security Analysis and Military Liaison Officer to the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence. During his career he completed the year-long Air Defence Instructor in Gunnery course, the Army Staff College Course, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff Course, the Advanced Military Studies Course, and in 2009 he received an equivalency for the year‑long National Security Program. From 2009 to 2010, Chris served at Canada’s Embassy in Kabul as the Deputy Military Attaché. Following Turkish language training and promotion to Acting Colonel, he was posted to Canada’s Embassy in Ankara as the Canadian Defence Attaché with cross‑accreditation to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan from 2011 to 2014. He retired from the military in September 2014. Since retiring, Chris has remained deeply engaged in Canadian foreign and defence policy issues. His book chapters, articles, and opinion pieces have appeared in numerous Canadian and international publications, and he has become a frequent speaker and commentator on geopolitical issues for audiences across Canada and for Canadian and international media outlets.