Chief Executive DCSA

Rear Admiral Rees GJ Ward CB MA MSc C.Eng FIEE
Rees Ward joined the Royal Navy in 1967. He read Electrical Engineering at Queens’ College Cambridge and, on completion of training was awarded the Queen’s Sword.

His early sea duty was in HM Ships TORQUAY, SOBERTON and BULWARK. He subsequently held charge appointments in HM Ships RUSSELL, BRIGHTON and ARK ROYAL. Ashore, he has lectured on Computer Science in the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon and was a member of the Sea Wolf project in the Procurement Executive from which he was promoted to Commander in 1983. A tour as Naval Assistant to the Controller of the Navy proceeded his promotion to Captain in 1989. Subsequent appointments included a short tour as a member of the Warfare Branch Development Team, Assistant Director in the Directorate Operational Requirements Sea, Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Procurement and the Director of Operational Requirements (Sea).

He is a graduate of the Joint Services Defence College (1983), Higher Command and Staff Course (joint) (1999) and the Royal College of Defence Studies (1998). He has Masters degrees in Guided Weapon Systems (1981) and in Corporate Management (2001) where he won the prize for top student. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Promoted to Rear Admiral he took up his appointment as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operational Requirements (Sea Systems) in April 1999. He subsequently became Capability Manager (Strategic Deployment) in October 1999. He was made a Companion of the Bath in the 2002 New Years Honours list. He took up his current post of Chief Executive of the Defence Communication Services Agency on 25 January 2002.

He is President of Royal Navy Athletics and has represented Great Britain and Scotland at athletics and cross-country running but limits himself nowadays to an occasional London marathon.

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