Mark Laity has been involved with the media & Strategic Communication (StratCom) for over four decades, first as a journalist, mostly with the BBC, then in a variety of posts as a spokesman & senior manager for NATO. His experience covers all levels, from the political & strategic, to the frontlines of operations. Within NATO he was a leading driver for the development of StratCom within the Alliance, nicknamed ‘Mr StratCom’.Upon retirement from NATO in January 2021 he co-founded the StratCom Academy, providing training, education and consultancy services within the security area.Until December 2020 he was the first Director of the Communications Division at SHAPE, and was largely responsible for the creation of the division that, along with the new military policy of which he was a primary author, represented a step change in the military handling of StratCom.From 2007 until 2017, he was the Chief StratCom at SHAPE, the first postholder, created in response to the growing importance of StratCom in military operations. His office led in the creation of SHAPE's first StratCom directive, military training in StratCom, as well as NATO military policy and oversaw their implementation.The StratCom post followed nine months in Afghanistan in 2006-7 as the NATO Spokesman in Kabul & Media Adviser to the ISAF Commander, for which he was awarded NATO’s Meritorious Service Medal. Two other tours followed. Prior to this he was the first civilian Chief of Public Information at SHAPE and before that the Special Adviser to the Secretary General of NATO, Lord Robertson, & NATO’s Deputy Spokesman.He joined NATO after 22 years in journalism, mostly in the BBC as an editor, producer & reporter. This included, from 1989, 11 years as a BBC Defence Correspondent, reporting from the frontlines of most major conflicts of the nineties.As an internationally recognised expert on StratCom he is a popular speaker, mentor and advocate of the role of StratCom, and has taught and spoken to audiences and at courses all over the world.He has BA(Hons) & MA degrees from the University of York and in 2020, in recognition of his work in journalism & StratCom, the university awarded him an Honorary Doctorate (DUniv).He is an Associate Fellow at the King’s Centre for Strategic Communications, a Visiting Fellow in Defence and Security at Cranfield University and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Army Leadership. He is also a British Army reservist, working in the field of Strategic Communications.