Vanessa Shields was born in Summit, New Jersey and is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, USA and the University of Bradford, UK. Ms Shields is the founder and director of the Wroxton Centre for Global Dialogue which promotes citizen empowerment worldwide by: facilitating intercultural and interfaith understanding within and between communities; encouraging discussion about current events and issues of importance; and, developing information, advice and training about the political structures and processes through which citizens can make their voices heard. Ms Shields became actively involved in community work while at Bradford University, working for groups such as, Bradford Action for Refugees and the Centre for Conflict Resolution, University of Bradford.

Ms Shields has worked with a variety of international non-governmental organizations in the UK and USA including the Oxford Research Group where she conducted research on the upgrade of the UK Trident nuclear weapons programme and assisted with the organization of consultations with senior Government and military officials, diplomats, academics, scientists and journalists. In 2004, Ms Shields was contracted by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research to write a report for the European Commission on how to develop a monitoring mechanism for EU arms embargoes. In 2005, Ms Shields was contracted to initiate, organize and host a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Advanced Research Workshop in Jordan. In preparation for these meetings Ms Shields was involved in high-level talks with leaders of political Islam in Beirut, Lebanon and senior American officials in Washington, DC. She has also conducted extensive research trips to Northern Ireland to meet with: the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Northern Ireland Office, and representatives of all major political parties at Stormont.

Ms Shields is currently writing a series of books on post-conflict reconstruction entitled Beyond Settlement Volume I: Consolidating Democratic Institutions in Conflict States and Beyond Settlement Volume II: Coping with Security in Conflict States. Ms Shields is an ongoing guest lecturer on conflict resolution skills, terrorism studies and post-conflict reconstruction at Wroxton College and also guest lectures at Fairleigh Dickinson University, USA. She is a member of the International Association of University Presidents United Nations Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace as well as being a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.

Ms Shields lives in Oxfordshire, UK with her partner - who is Dean of Wroxton College, Fairleigh Dickinson University - as well as a sassy old cat and a fat Labrador.