Vice Admiral (Retd) Paul Bennett OB CBE

Vice Admiral Bennett assumed the role of National President of the Royal British Legion in October 2024. He is honoured to represent the Legion and to support the Executive across the Legion’s extensive remit; care, benevolence, advocacy and remembrance. He is married to Kay, with whom they have 2 grown-up daughters and, to date, 3 grandsons.

Paul joined the Royal Navy in September 1985 and enjoyed an extensive sea-going career operating widely in Europe, the North and South Atlantic and the Middle East. He commanded at every rank: HMS BITER, the patrol vessel of the Manchester Universities Royal Naval Unit, the Minehunter, HMS ATHERSTONE, a minehunter and the destroyer HMS EXETER. As a captain, he had the privilege of being the first commanding officer of HMS DARING, the first T45 Destroyer, before going on to command the UK’s Amphibious Task Group operating in the Indian Ocean, Norwegian Arctic, and on the West coast of the USA. Finally as a Rear Admiral he was the Royal Navy’s on-call deployable commander.

Between seagoing appointments, Paul worked, variously, in operations, capability and people in both Royal Navy HQ and the Ministry of Defence. He served for 6 months in Baghdad as the Advisor to the senior Iraqi hierarchy in their Joint Headquarters. As a Flag Officer, he ran UK Defence’s think-tank, the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, was then Chief of Staff in the organisation responsible for intelligence, logistics, medical and special forces and then Head of Capability for the Royal Navy. His last role was based in the United States, where he ran a NATO HQ on behalf of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, with responsibility for shaping the future of the military Alliance.

Since leaving the armed forces in 2022, he is a NATO Senior Mentor, supporting allied nations develop their maritime capability, a mentor in UK’s Defence Academy and supports elements of the UK and European defence industry.

Paul is a Younger Brother of Trinity House, the Senior Warden of the Carpenters’ Livery Company and, when he can, enjoys road and mountain-biking, sailing, and rowing.