Air Vice-Marshal Graham Howard
CB MA
Graham grew up and was educated in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and studied for an MA in Defence Studies at King’s College University of London. Graham is currently the Director of Estates and Facilities Management at Loughborough University, a role he has held since early 2019. He is responsible for the strategic development and operational management of the University’s two campuses, in Loughborough and London and leads the largest professional services department at the University comprising 725 staff and exercising responsibility for large budget.
Before his appointment at Loughborough, he spent 4 years as a Director with KPMG based in London working with public sector clients on major capital programmes and projects.
Much of Graham’s working life has been spent in the Royal Air Force before retiring in the rank of Air-Vice Marshal in 2014 as the senior military Logistician in the UK Armed Forces. His last regular appointment was as the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff responsible for Logistics Support to all UK Joint Forces deployed on global operations. During the course of a 34-year career, Graham deployed on multiple operations including to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland. He was appointed a Companion of the Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2014.
Graham maintains his military links as a senior RAF Reserve Officer chairing Ministry of Defence Service Complaints Panel Tribunals and as President of the Tactical Supply Wing and Servicing Commando Association. Married to Jaki who also served in the RAF and is a Practice Nurse, they have three adult daughters living between Aberdeen and Kent and live in South Northamptonshire. Interests include trying to maintain a 16th Century property and its large garden, family, travel and trying to maintain a reasonable level of fitness. He believes he may still be the RAF’s veteran Luge champion on the basis that no one else has been foolish enough to make a challenge.