General John Howard is a retired military leader who now works with boards and senior executives as a private advisor on strategy, risk and organisational
performance. John's consulting work focuses on helping executive teams interpret complex strategic operating environments, align strategy and risk, and make clear decisions when the stakes are high and the information is imperfect. He brings a calm, inquiring strategic lens to decision making at the highest level, drawing on over four decades of service in some of the most complex defence, intelligence and national security environments.
John has held a number of senior military leadership roles including Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment; Commander of the Deployable Joint Interagency Task Force; before being appointed the inaugural Chief of Defence Intelligence for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). In that role he was responsible for shaping NZDF's strategic intelligence enterprise, integrating complex information environments and supporting government decision makers under conditions of uncertainty. This role saw John serving as a principal across a full range of Five Eyes intelligence boards as well as at the highest level in Military Intelligence NATO.
Internationally, John has held significant appointments within the United States defence and intelligence system, including serving as the responsible Officer in the role of Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington (the world's largest All Source Intelligence Agency). In this role he was the only non-US executive officer serving across all 18 agencies and departments of the US Intelligence Community. He has also served as a senior national officer at U.S. Central Command, Tampa. These positions placed him inside the core of the U.S. and Five Eyes Intelligence Community and saw him working daily with senior civilian and military leaders on some of the most demanding global security problems.
Alongside his operational and intelligence experience, John has led sensitive work with international governmental organisations at the highest levels, building an extensive global network across defence, security, diplomatic and multilateral institutions, including NATO. He holds a Master of Management & International Defence Studies, and a Master of Strategic Studies. John is a graduate of the Company Directors Course from the Institute of Directors for New Zealand. John was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his strategic leadership in East Timor. He was presented with the US legion of Merit (Officer Grade) from the US Secretary of Defence, and has twice been awarded the US Meritorious Service Medal.
Seven months ago, the Strait of Hormuz closed. For practical purposes, it remains closed. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks with Major General (Ret) John Howard about the White House reversing its own sanctions to import Russian diesel and pressuring Ukraine to replace its president, even as Russia continues striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. They discuss the protests and debt pressure destabilising France, and what a weakening Europe would mean for New Zealand's trade and energy. Read more
Here is a paradox that ought to trouble ministers more than any single threat named in the NZSIS’s 2026 Security Threat Environment report, released in August. The New Zealand Government has never had more useful intelligence available to it than it does today. Read more
This year's NZSIS Security Threat Environment report lists many threats facing New Zealand. But one of the biggest is not on its list: the Government has more useful intelligence than ever before, yet it is not digesting that intelligence fast enough to matter. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 8 October 2026) - New Zealand has more information about emerging security threats than ever before, but Cabinet is still too slow to turn warnings into action, a research note released today by The New Zealand Initiative finds. In Too slow to notice: Four fixes for a fast Cabinet, Major General (Ret) John Howard MNZM and Dr Reuben Steff say the problem is speed, not information. Read more
New Zealand has more information about emerging security threats than ever before, but Cabinet is still too slow to turn warnings into action, a research note released today by The New Zealand Initiative finds. Major General (Ret) John Howard MNZM and Dr Reuben Steff say the problem is speed, not information. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Major General John Howard about Russia's escalating pressure on NATO, the diesel squeeze working its way through global supply chains and why New Zealand's just-in-time fuel system leaves it exposed. They also discuss John's new paper with Dr Reuben Steff on how Cabinet gets its information, before turning to the NZDF personnel whose use of Strava exposed their locations while deployed overseas. Read more
For three decades we treated defence as a peace dividend to be spent down, not an insurance policy to be maintained. Every government did it, to some degree, because the neighbourhood felt safe and there were always more pressing places to put the money. Read more
Greece. Crete. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 16 September 2026) – New Zealand's prosperity depends on open sea lanes and a stable Pacific, and a new report from The New Zealand Initiative argues the country cannot secure either without a defence force able to contribute alongside its partners. In Worth Defending: Freedom, prosperity and the case for a stronger New Zealand Defence Force, Major General (Retired) John G Howard, MNZM, a Senior Fellow of the Initiative and the inaugural Chief of Defence Intelligence, argues that a credible, combat-capable Defence Force is not discretionary spending but the foundation on which the country's security, sovereignty and economic prosperity rest. Read more
New Zealand's prosperity depends on open sea lanes and a stable Pacific. The country cannot secure either without a defence force able to contribute alongside its partners. Read more
Retired Major General John Howard joined Susana Lei'ataua on RNZ to discuss the current Geopolitical climate. Tensions in the Middle East have escalated again, with the US military announcing it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for an attempted Iranian attack on a US Navy warship. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to John Howard, senior fellow at the New Zealand Initiative, about the CIA director's public visit to Moscow and what it says about the security of Western Europe. They also discuss Germany's decision to name Russia over the drone attack on Leipzig Airport, the vote for Russia-friendly parties in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, the stalled Middle East conflict and its consequences for New Zealand's fuel supplies, and the new Cook Islands port deal. Read more
Major General John Howard speaks with Ryan Bridges on Herald NOW around why US and NZ are co-funding Cook Island port. John discusses it's alignment with our national security strategy and the economic benefits for the Cook Islands. Read more
Major General John Howard is a retired military leader who was Chief of Defence Intelligence for the NZDF and was also Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration at the US Defense Intelligence Agency. He talks to Guyon Espiner about Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith cancelling an appearance at a meeting in Canberra with his Australian and Japanese counterparts. Read more