David Proctor (admiral)
David Proctor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Proctor in 2019 | |
| Birth name | David Colin Proctor |
| Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 55–56) Napier, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service | Royal New Zealand Navy |
| Years of service | 1987–2024 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands | Chief of Navy (2018–2024) |
| Battles / wars | United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor |
| Awards | Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit |
Rear Admiral David Colin Proctor ONZM (born 1968 or 1969) is a retired officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy. He served as Chief of Navy from 2018 to 2024.
Early life
[edit]Born in Napier in 1968 or 1969, Proctor grew up in the suburb of Maraenui.[1][2] He was educated at Colenso High School, where he was head boy in 1986.[1] Of Māori descent, Proctor affiliates to Ngāti Korokī Kahukura.[2]
Career
[edit]After leaving school, Proctor joined the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in January 1987 as a midshipman.[1] Deployments to the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste followed.[2] He spent most of his naval career in logistics roles.[3]
Proctor succeeded John Martin as Chief of Navy on 29 November 2018.[3] He was the first person with a logistics background to hold this position; all previous heads of the RNZN were from a warfare officer background.[3] Proctor's tenure as Chief of Navy included the delivery of two new ships to the RNZN, the eruption of Whakaari / White Island in 2019 and the response to Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.[2]
Proctor retired as Chief of Navy on 16 May 2024, and became the deputy executive director at the Australian Civil Military Centre in Canberra.[1]
Honours and awards
[edit]In the 2025 New Year Honours, Proctor was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the New Zealand Defence Force.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Hawke's Bay in brief: Napier-born Rear Admiral David Proctor retires as NZ Navy chief after 37 years". Hawke's Bay Today. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "'Nothing I have achieved has been an individual effort' – former Navy chief and ONZM recipient". New Zealand Defence Force. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Hartigan, Brian (29 November 2018). "Royal New Zealand Navy's new chief". Contact. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "New Year honours list 2025". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.