Guest Speakers
Sir David Lidington
Sir David Lidington (KCB, CBE) is a Distinguished Fellow and former Chair (2020-2025) of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the UK’s foremost Defence and Security Policy think tank. He is Honorary President of the Great Britain China Centre and UK Chair of the Konigswinter Conference (UK/Germany) and the Aurora Forum (UK/Nordics and Baltics). He was educated at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School, before studying Modern History at the University of Cambridge. David also represented Aylesbury in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2019. As Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster he served as deputy to Prime Minister Theresa May from January 2018 to July 2019, having previously served in the May governments as Leader of the House of Commons and as Justice Secretary. David served as Minister for Europe throughout the coalition government and David Cameron’s Conservative government (2010-2016), the UK’s longest-serving holder of that post. He held responsibility for the UK’s relations with more than 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia and represented the UK at the EU, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe and the UN Security Council.
David will talk about his experience in Parliament and representing the UK in Europe and the UN. He will also explore the UK’s perspective on the UN and international relations in ‘bridging divides’.
Gabrielle Gower OBE
Gabrielle Gower (OBE) is currently the Director General, Reform in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), responsible for all operating-model-related change across Defence. Gaby is on secondment from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) where she has worked for over 20 years on areas such as Southeast Asia, prosperity and counter-terrorism, including a posting to The Hague as one of the UK representatives to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). She was awarded an O.B.E. in the 2021 New Year’s Honours in recognition of this work. She was previously the Director and then Senior Responsible Officer for the Defence Reform programme in the MoD before being appointed as Director General, Reform in October 2025. Gaby is also currently the National Security Challenge Champion. Gaby is passionate about creating an inclusive environment, mentoring and coaching a wide variety of individuals from all areas of the civil service, as well as acting as a senior sponsor for development schemes for those with protected characteristics. She also headed the senior women’s network and has instigated and hosted several US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand senior women’s events.
Drawing on her experience working in the FCDO and attending the OPCW, Gabrielle will share the importance of the role of the UN and international relations in ‘bridging divides’ and creating a more peaceful world for future generations.
Gus Lock
Gus Lock was educated at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School, where he studied History, Latin and French at A Level, was a House Captain and captain of Rugby. After a gap year teaching in Chile, he went on to study Ancient and Modern History at Oxford University, before completing a PGCE at Bristol University. In 1999 Gus joined Manchester Grammar School as a Teacher of History and stayed for 5 years before joining Merchant Taylors’ School as Head of History and Head of Middle School. In 2011 Gus took up the position as Deputy Head of Warwick School and from 2013-2018 served as Headmaster. In summer 2018 Gus came full circle back to Habs as Headmaster of the Boys’ School and, in 2023, moved to the new role of Executive Principal working across the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools.
By exploring his deep love for History, Gus will share how the formation of the UN in 1945, and its emphasis on debate and international relations, has helped to ‘bridge divides’ and shape modern society as we know it.