Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte CB

Areas of Interest

Armed Forces and Emergency Services

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Business Administration

Citation

Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte CB, for the award of Honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte is the Royal Navy’s Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.

Born and raised in Kettering, Andrew studied for his BA in Modern History at Anglia Ruskin’s forerunner institution, the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology. And after graduating in 1987, he joined the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer.

In the early part of his career, Andrew was deployed to HMS Ark Royal and HMS Active, and served in the prestigious role of Military Assistant to the First Sea Lord.

After promotion to Lieutenant Commander, he served aboard HMS Chatham and was deployed to the Far East and Arabian Gulf.

An appointment to the staff at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, and to His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport, kept Andrew in home waters for a spell. As did his MA in Defence Studies at King’s College London.

But he was soon promoted Commander in charge of logistics, aboard the amphibious assault vessel HMS Bulwark.

Andrew’s rapid rise through the ranks continued, and it was as Captain that he joined the Army’s 8 Engineer Brigade, later deploying to Afghanistan as Deputy Commander of the Joint Force Support HQ.

Having gained senior rank, Andrew increasingly found himself in high-profile strategic roles. Appointments as a Commodore included Command of the UK’s High Readiness Joint Force Logistics HQ, deploying to Oman, and to the Republic of Korea as part of the United Nations Command.

On his promotion to Rear Admiral in 2018, Andrew was appointed Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Support Operations) in the Ministry of Defence – a role that would pit him against the challenges created by a series of extraordinary events, including the COVID19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Today, Andrew serves as Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, responsible for leading a vast interdisciplinary team whose purpose is, in plain terms, to ensure that UK Defence has 'the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time'. It is a role that carries enormous responsibility, and is of critical importance to the UK’s peacekeeping and war-fighting capabilities.

Vice Admiral Kyte has enjoyed a stellar career, defined by his remarkable discipline, innovation and outstanding commitment to creating and implementing high-performance solutions to our military’s diverse and rapidly changing logistical challenges.

In addition to the day job, Andrew also serves as Chair of the Royal Navy Officers’ Charity, and as President of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Surfing Association. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and is the Armed Forces Jewish Faith Champion. Away from service life, he is a lifelong support of Aston Villa FC.

In recognition of his contribution to Defence’s response to the COVID19 pandemic, Andrew was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.

As a distinguished alumnus, he will be a powerful role model and an inspirational figure to all Anglia Ruskin students. We are delighted to welcome Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte to our Anglia Ruskin community.

Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Andrew Kyte for the award of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.