Anthony Franks is a Senior Strategic Analysis Consultant of The Soufan Group. He served for 26 years in the British Army Intelligence Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2005 to follow a civilian career. 

During his military service he led and managed intelligence, counter-intelligence and security operations in Cyprus, East and West Europe, the Levant, the Balkans and a number of Middle East countries.  He was awarded operational service commendations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

His last appointment in the army was as Head of Intelligence and Security at HQ British Forces in Cyprus.  He led, trained and co-ordinated his staff along with international military and civilian intelligence agencies to meet operational intelligence, security and counter-terrorist requirements in the Middle East, the Levant and North Africa.  He was subsequently awarded the OBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for services to intelligence and security.

After leaving the army he was appointed as MD for Intelligence and Information in a global risk mitigation company where he was responsible for the provision of intelligence for clients operating in complex and high threat environments.

He has also worked as a director of a high-technology security company; delivering advice to clients on all aspects of physical, technical, personnel and information security, as well as threat, risk and vulnerability mitigation. 

His focus currently is on the collection, evaluation, analysis and interpretation of information to support global client business operations by delivering geopolitical intelligence reports and risk analyses.

He maintains and fosters close personal and operational links with a number of key Middle East, North African and sub-Saharan African personalities and organisations, and has excellent access to other regions, including Russia, the Far East and South East Asia through his networks. 

He has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a Member of the Translating and Interpreting Division of the Institute of Linguists (Arabic).  He was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute in 2005 and a Member of the City and Guilds in Intelligence Management in 2006.  He speaks fluent Arabic, French and German, and conversational Greek and Italian.