ALLI ED MARITIM E COMMAND Biography Captain S.L. (Sim) Schot Royal Navy

Commander Task Force (CTG)

Sim Schot was born in 1963 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He started his naval career as a at the Royal Netherlands Naval College in 1982. He was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant in 1985.

He spent his internship on board the HNLMS Callenburgh and HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen.

From 1987 to 1988 he studied at the University of Delft (Information Technology) and onwards became a watch keeping officer on the HNLMS De Ruyter until the end of 1989. In this period De Ruyter participated in several major Nato Exercises. In January 1991 he graduated from the Principle Warfare Officers course as a specialist in gunnery and air defence.

He subsequently served as an Air Defence Officer on board the frigate HNLMS De Ruyter until July 1993. In this period HNLMS De Ruyter participated in STANAVFORLANT and during Operation Sharp Guard in the Adriatic.

In December 1995 he was appointed Head of Operations of the air defence frigate HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck. He assumed command of the mine hunter HNLMS Schiedam in June 1996.

From July 1997 until July 2000 he was appointed to the School of Operations at HMS Dryad. As an instructor of the PWO Course he was responsible for the Surface Warfare training. During these three years he lived with his family in Southwick, Hampshire.

Following his appointment in the UK he worked as staff officer operations within the Netherlands Task Group staff for two years. He was deployed for 3 months as liaison officer on board USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS John C Stennis in the Indian Ocean during Operation Enduring Freedom. He completed the Advanced Command & Staff Course in 2003 and subsequently served in the Navy Staff in .

In April 2004 he took command of the multi-purpose frigate HNLMS Van Amstel until Feb 2006. During his command HNLMS Van Amstel completed a work-up period, deployed to the for 4 months, deployed to the for 4 months and was involved in the disaster relief operation near New Orleans in the aftermath of the hurricane Katrina.

From 2006 to 2010 he served as Programming Officer and Senior Policy Adviser for the Commander-in-Chief RNLN in Den Helder. From Nov 2009 until Mar 2010 he was deployed as Chief of Staff at the EU Force Head Quarter under Italian command on board ITS Etna during Operation Atalanta.

From 2010 until 2013 he was director of the joint Advanced Command & Staff Course at the Netherlands Defence College. From Nov 2013 until Mar 2014 he was again deployed as Chief of Staff at the EU Force Head Quarter, this time under French command on board FS Siroco.

Following this tour he was appointed as director Navy Command Headquarters in Den Helder. He took command of Joint Support Ship HNLMS in February 2016.

Sim lives in Alkmaar in The Netherlands and has a daughter and a son. His hobbies include fitness and scuba diving.