Tom Middendorp is the former Chief of Defence of the Netherlands and served as the country’s highest-ranking military officer from 2012 to 2017. During his more than 38-year military career, he held various national and international command positions, including during missions in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his departure from the Ministry of Defence, he has focused on the relationship between climate change, security and geopolitics. As the author of The Climate General and Chair of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS), he advocates for an integrated approach to global security challenges. He is also a Strategic Security Expert at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), a Senior Associate Fellow at Clingendael, and a Special Envoy for European defence cooperation. Drawing on his military and strategic experience, he works to raise awareness of the security risks associated with climate change.