Rodney Lees

Rear Admiral Rodney Lees CVO
Born	(1944-12-31) 31 December 1944
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Service years	1962-2001
Rank	Rear admiral
Awards	Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Rear Admiral Rodney Burnett Lees, CVO (born 31 December 1944) is a former senior Royal Navy officer who served as Defence Services Secretary from 1998 to 2001.

Educated at Charterhouse School, Lees joined the Royal Navy in 1962.¹ He decided to undertake legal training from 1974 and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1976.¹ He became Legal Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command in 1977, Deputy Chief Supply Officer (Pay) at the Ministry of Defence in 1980 and Supply Officer for the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in 1982.¹ He went on to be Fleet Legal and Administration Officer in 1984, Secretary to the Chief of Fleet Support in 1986 and Deputy Command Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1988.¹ After that he became Secretary to the First Sea Lord in 1990, Director of Defence Personnel in 1992 and Chief of Staff to the Second Sea Lord in 1995.¹ He served as Defence Services Secretary and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) from 1998 to 2001.²

In 1969 he married Rosemary Elizabeth Blake; they had two sons.¹ Following the dissolution of his first marriage, he married Molly McEwen in 1982.¹