John Heaver

Former Royal Marine Officer, Advisory and Leadership Partner at the Special Projects Group Ltd, Business Strategist & Leadership Speaker

John Heaver’s Biography:

John Heaver is a former Royal Marines Officer turned senior corporate leader, now serving as an Advisory and Leadership Partner at Special Projects Group Ltd. With a career spanning frontline military command and executive roles within a FTSE 100 financial institution, he brings a rare perspective on resilience, strategy and transformation. Having competed for GB Age Group Triathlon, John exemplifies high performance both professionally and personally, making him a compelling authority on disciplined leadership and sustained excellence.

Commissioned into the Royal Marines at just 19, John led diverse teams on multiple operational tours of Afghanistan. During his military career, he held responsibility for training and developing the next generation of Royal Marines Officers, shaping leadership capability at one of the UK’s most elite institutions. His experience in high-risk, high-pressure environments laid the foundation for his later work in corporate strategy and transformation.

Transitioning into the private sector, John joined Barclays, where he held a series of senior leadership roles. He served as Strategy and Operations Lead before becoming Head of Counter Economic Crime and later Head of Strategy and Transformation. In these roles, he designed and delivered large-scale transformation programmes, advising executives on resilience, risk management and innovation across complex global operations.

In 2025, John became an Advisory and Leadership Partner at Special Projects Group Ltd, continuing to support senior leaders in navigating uncertainty and organisational change. Alongside this, he mentors through the Forces Employment Charity, championing transition pathways for service personnel. A passionate advocate of servant leadership, John combines authenticity, operational experience and practical frameworks to help organisations perform under pressure.

Why Hire John Heaver?

John is hired for his ability to translate frontline military leadership into practical strategies for corporate performance. Drawing on experience from combat deployments to board-level transformation programmes, he equips audiences with tools to build resilient teams, lead through ambiguity and manage risk effectively.

His philosophy of servant leadership challenges conventional command-and-control models, offering a people-centred yet performance-driven approach. Blending storytelling with structured frameworks, he resonates strongly with executive teams, financial institutions and organisations navigating complex transformation.

John Heaver’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define John Heaver’s remarkable career:

• 2025 – Appointed Advisory and Leadership Partner at Special Projects Group Ltd, supporting senior leaders on resilience and strategic transformation.
• 2024 – Became a Mentor at the Forces Employment Charity, supporting military personnel transitioning into civilian careers.
• 2022 – Appointed Head of Strategy & Transformation at Barclays, leading enterprise-wide change initiatives.
• 2020 – Served as Head of Counter Economic Crime at Barclays, overseeing financial crime risk strategy.
• 2017 – Strategy and Operations Lead at Barclays, designing operational improvement programmes.
• 2005 – Commissioned as a Royal Marines Officer at the UK Ministry of Defence, leading operational teams including deployments to Afghanistan.