Lord John Stevens QPM

Lord John Stevens, after stepping down as Commissioner, completed the inquiry into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed. He also chaired Interpol’s Strategy Advisory Panel and David Cameron’s policy group on border policing. And acted as international security advisor to ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  Lord Stevens takes a hands-on approach to leadership. He believes it means having the ability and courage to enthuse others and inspire them to follow. Speaking to conference audiences from a wealth of personal experience, he sums up the leader’s responsibilities as “delivery, performance, keeping promises and building confidence.”

On risk and security, his approach is characteristically pragmatic. Whether the threat is from terrorism or fraud, he advocates thorough risk assessment rather than allowing a culture of risk aversion to take root. Risks must be identified, evaluated, controlled and monitored.  Lord Stevens is a board member of Travelex, BAA, Quest and LGC – the leading provider of chemical, biochemical and forensic analysis. After investigating alleged transfer irregularities on behalf of the Football Association, he has also been asked to look into horse-doping in Olympic show jumping and ‘leaks’ in Formula One.

Author of, ‘Not for the Faint-Hearted: My Life Fighting Crime’ the book is described on Amazon as, ‘An absorbing and controversial memoir. In it John Stevens records highlights his incredible career, from walking the beat as a constable on London’s Tottenham Court Road during the 1960s to the summit of his profession as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Nicknamed ‘Swifty Stevens’ he was known for multiple arrests as a junior Detective. Furthermore as Deputy Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire he began the first of his three inquiries into collusion between the security forces and paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. One of his most striking successes was in the car-crime capital of Europe – Newcastle – where he achieved the most spectacular reduction in crime ever known in Britain. In 2000, when he was appointed Commissioner, London’s police force was in a poor way, understrength and weakened by low morale. Five years later under his leadership, the force had been restored  to its best-ever state.