Kettering Vice Admiral awarded honorary degree for 'remarkable discipline, innovation and outstanding commitment'
A Kettering-born Vice Admiral has been awarded an honorary degree for for his 'remarkable discipline, innovation and outstanding commitment' to his role.
Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte – The Royal Navy’s Chief of Defence Logistics and Support – received the award of Honorary Doctor of Business Administration during an Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) graduation ceremony at Chelmsford Cathedral on Thursday (July 17).
Born and raised in Kettering, Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte was a guest of honour at last month’s Freedom Parade in Kettering.
Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “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.”
Vice Admiral Kyte studied for his BA in Modern History at ARU’s forerunner institution, the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (CCAT).
Addressing graduating students at a ceremony, Vice Admiral Kyte said: “If you said to me when I was at school about 40 years ago that I would be awarded an honorary doctorate, I wouldn’t have believed a word.
“I enjoyed three great years at CCAT. I joined the Royal Navy and the rest is history. I was fortunate to have a supportive and loving family who instilled a sense of the importance of working hard and the criticality of never giving up. At CCAT I developed a passion for learning and asking questions.
“I have been able to travel the globe. I have met some inspiring people and seen some amazing things. But moreover I have had the honour of leading some of the most loyal, dedicated and talented people this country has produced. I could not have done it without the support of my family.
“Today marks an important milestone in your lives and I feel privileged to be part of it.”
After graduating in 1987, he joined the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer, was deployed to HMS Ark Royal and HMS Active, and served in the prestigious role of Military Assistant to the First Sea Lord.
Future roles included serving on the staff at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, as Commodore commanding the UK’s High Readiness Joint Force Logistics HQ, and deploying 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 events including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Today, he serves as Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, a role that is of critical importance to the UK’s peacekeeping and war-fighting capabilities.
He 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.
In recognition of his contribution to Defence’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Vice Admiral Kyte was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.