Core team

SO1 Leadership

Lieutenant Colonel Dean Canham OBE (Mercian Regiment), graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2000, spending most of his regimental duty at 1 WFR and 2 Mercian, on tours in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and as the Reconnaissance Platoon Commander in Afghanistan in 2004. He was the Ceremonial Adjutant on State Ceremonial Duties in London, and the Battle Group Operations Officer back in Afghanistan in 2007. He subsequently commanded A (Grenadier) Company 2 MERCIAN in Afghanistan in 2011, led the Battalion’s contingent at the 2012 Olympic Games, and deployed to the Falkland Islands.

He has instructed junior soldiers and officers, at the Infantry Training Schools in Catterick and Brecon, and on the Intermediate Command and Staff Course. He has worked at the Army Personnel Centre, as an Executive Officer in Army HQ, on the Army Strategy team, and as a Plans Officer for Africa in the Joint Headquarters, for which he was appointed an OBE in 2018. 

He took command of 1 Mercian in 2020, taking the Battle Group on operations in Estonia in 2021, and commanding the Lead Armoured Battle Group until spring 2023, when he became Head of the Centre for Army Leadership, based at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

WO1 Leadership

Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) David Chant (1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards) joined the Army in September 2000 and undertook recruit training at the Army Training Regiment Bassingbourn and subsequently went onto complete Phase 2 specific to arm courses in Bovington, the home of the Royal Armoured Corps. On completion of recruit training in October 2001, he joined 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards “The Welsh Cavalry” in Catterick.

WO1 Chant’s Junior and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer roles were spent at Regimental Duty, where he deployed on multiple operations. Successfully completing Crew Commanders in 2008, he was specifically employed within the Squadrons of a reconnaissance unit and found himself taking up the responsibilities of lead Call-Sign. WO1 Chant has deployed on: Op TELIC 1, 5, 8; and Op HERRICK 9, 15, 20. In 2018 he completed a tour of Poland as a Squadron Sergeant Major before deploying on Op NEWCOMBE 3 as the Task-Group Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM).

After serving as Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards and completing a deployment as the RSM of the Long-Range Reconnaissance Group, in 2023 WO1 Chant took up the position of WO1 Leadership at the Centre for Army Leadership.

WO1 Chant has a BA Hons in Business Management and enjoys spending time with his family and keeping fit.

WO1 Leadership

Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Ashley ‘Ash’ Body (Royal Signals) commenced his Army career in 2003, completing recruit training at the Army Training Regiment Lichfield, followed by Phase 2 specialist training at the Royal School of Signals, Blandford.

WO2 Body has held various Junior and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer roles across multiple Royal Signals units, contributing to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Europe, and the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2019, he was appointed as a Staff Assistant within the Capability Development Directorate at NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Virginia, USA.

Following his promotion to WO2, he served at JSSU (Cyprus) as Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) and Unit Training Officer. In 2024, WO2 Body assumed his current position as WO2 Leadership at the Centre for Army Leadership.

WO2 Body holds an MBA and a BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his family, staying fit, and exploring craft beer.