Colonel Neil Sutherland

Colonel Neil Sutherland OBE DL MA CEng FICE has been a Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire since 2016. He is part of the Lieutenancy team focused on the Vale of White Horse and is the Lieutenancy’s link to Faringdon. Along with David Woodgate, he holds the Lieutenancy’s emergency services brief for the County.

Neil’s first career was in the army, where he rose to the rank of Colonel. He trained at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, took a degree in Civil Engineering, and went on to command an engineer regiment. His regiment was awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace for its community work in the Falkland Islands.  And as Commander of the Land Force Engineers in Bosnia Herzegovina, he led the multinational post-conflict restoration project.  He completed further service in the Army Reserves.

After his army career, Neil founded an Oxfordshire-based management consultancy group and acted as its Chief Executive Officer. He then held Managing Director roles within two large UK companies. Neil was a Non-Executive Director of Two Rivers Housing Association in the Forest of Dean for 9 years, chaired its commercial services company, and was closely involved with the funding and construction of affordable homes.

Outside of work, Neil is involved in voluntary work. He has a particular interest in Lowland Rescue Oxfordshire as its County Patron, and is regularly involved with the search for missing, vulnerable people as a trained Search Technician. Neil also has links with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Royal British Legion, and the South-East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association, for whom he serves as Oxfordshire’s Selected Military Member.

Neil is also involved in church life, having led a pioneering project to transform a mid-1800s church in Fernham into a church and village hall from 2004 to 2012. He runs Fernham Village Trust and serves on Longcot with Fernham’s Parochial Church Council.

Neil lives in Fernham with his wife Lin.