John Kittmer

Education Kittmer was born in Sussex in 1967. From the years 1978–1985, he was educated at Hymers College, an independent day school in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire in Northern England, where he was taught Ancient Greek by Larry Trewartha and Gerald Thompson. He was succeeded in this role by Kate Smith in January 2017.

Kittmer was appointed to replace Peter Hayes as the Commissioner for the British Overseas Territories of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory starting in December 2016. In June 2017, he left this post on a career break to continue his academic studies. In June 2019, he left the civil service permanently.

Kittmer currently sits on the board of directors of the Greek oil tanker company Okeanis.

Personal life and honours Kittmer self-identifies as a 'northerner'. Kittmer entered into a civil partnership with David Bates in 2007.