John Coles QPM

John Coles QPM is Director of Strategic Threat and Security at SJ Group International and the former Head of Special Operations at the UK's National Crime Agency, where he commanded the agency's firearms, surveillance and specialist search capabilities. He has decades of experience identifying emerging threats and working with international, defence and intelligence partners.

At the National Crime Agency, John worked alongside UK Special Forces, the intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism policing. In 2023 he received the NCA Director's Commendation for leading the response to more than 200 threats to life identified through intelligence. He previously headed the agency's liaison with the UK intelligence agencies, and ran an international network of 120 liaison officers in more than 40 countries, including deployments to Afghanistan and Colombia.

He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2004.

At SJ Group International, John helps clients understand and get ahead of the threats they face. His work includes intelligence-led threat assessments and international security risk advice, covering threats from organised crime and hostile state actors, including where these cross into defence and national security.