The Soldiers Fund

Major General (Retired) Martin Rutledge CB, OBE, MA, FCMI

Martin Rutledge is the Chief Executive of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the British Army’s National Charity.

Joining the British Army in 1976 he served a full career as a cavalry officer in a wide variety of British Army and international appointments. Highlights include a challenging time in Northern Ireland as a junior commander, Regimental command during the Bosnia campaign; a lengthy stint in the national operational headquarters during the Balkan, Iraq and Kosovo campaigns; spells with the Joint staffs in Whitehall and Security Adviser to the Kosovo Government as they gained independence. In his last appointment as a Divisional commander he had wide ranging responsibilities for the Army across much of the United Kingdom.

He has had the privilege of often serving alongside US forces. He was the UK lead for national targeting against Iraq and Kosovo, WMD and other specialist joint activities – working very closely with counterparts in Washington and CENTCOM. Later, with NATO’s Rapid Reaction Corps, he had the pleasure of commanding a US aviation staff and working closely with their earmarked assets.

On retirement he leads the Army’s national charity which is focused on making individual grants to Serving soldiers, veterans of all ages and their immediate families when in need. They also make substantial grants to up to 100 charities world-wide in a typical year. Martin sits on a significant number of other national charity and finance boards, as well as the Soldiers Fund. He is also Vice President of the UK’s Combined Cadet Force – working with youngsters from a wide range of backgrounds.

Martin Rutledge is a graduate of Oxford University, the Higher Command and Staff Course and the Royal College of Defence Studies. Married with two teenage children he lives in London mid – week to fully focus on leading the Charity, and then aspires to join his family in Dorset at weekends. Passionate skiers, Brexit not-withstanding! they are currently buying a further home in the French Alps.