Vice Admiral Simon Asquith MA CB OBE

Born and educated in West Yorkshire, England, Simon Asquith joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1990 spending most of his early career at sea. Qualifying as a submariner in 1995, he served in diesel electric, nuclear attack and strategic deterrent submarines, including a fascinating 2-year exchange with the Netherlands’ Submarine Service.

Having successfully completed the Submarine Command Course or ‘Perisher’ in 2003 he went on to Command both the nuclear attack submarine HMS TALENT and, on promotion to Captain, the Frigate HMS PORTLAND, as Captain of Anti-Submarine Warfare for the Fleet. These periods in Command included a range of operations, exercises and deployments.

Staff tours have included periods as the Assistant Director for the UK’s Higher Command and Staff Course, Deputy Commander to the UK’s Maritime Component Commander in Bahrain and Chief of Staff to the deployable Standing Joint Force Headquarters.

On promotion to Rear Admiral in 2019 he was assigned as Commander Operations, the standing commander responsible for the planning and execution of Royal Navy operations globally. Between 2022 and 2024 he was Director Submarines for the Royal Navy, responsible for the basing, force generation, maintenance, safety and capability development of the Submarine Force.

He is a graduate of Advanced Command and Staff Course (MA in Defence Studies), Higher Command and Staff Course, US CAPSTONE and the Senior Executive Programme at the London Business School.

In July 2024 he took over as Chief of Staff to NATO’s Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk Virginia.

He is married to Jane, has 3 adult children in the UK and enjoys cooking, travel, trying to keep fit and reading history.