Brigadier Charles Alexander Sylvester Lott, MNZM, MBus, MA, AFNZIM

Brigadier Charles Alexander Sylvester Lott was born in Malaya on 5 January 1959 and was educated at Cashmere High School, New Zealand.

He enlisted into the New Zealand Army in January 1978 and undertook initial Officer Training at the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, Australia and graduated into the Royal New Zealand Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in the rank of Second Lieutenant in December 1978.

After a period of post graduate training, Brigadier Lott was posted to 1st Base Workshop, Trentham in January 1979 to undertake Technical studies. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in December 1980 and while still posted to 1 Base Workshop assumed the appointment of Training Officer. On completion of a year of full time study in 1982 Brigadier Lott was awarded a New Zealand Certificate of Engineering in Production.

In January 1983, Brigadier Lott was posted on promotion to the 1st Transport Squadron Light Aid Detachment, Papakura as the Officer Commanding. In February 1985, Brigadier Lott was posted to 1 Field Workshop as the Workshop Officer. In January 1986, he was posted to 3 Field Workshop and assumed a number of appointments within this unit. He was promoted to the rank of Major in March 1989.

From May 1989, Brigadier Lott underwent a six month tour of duty with the New Zealand Contingent, Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), Sinai, as the Liaison Officer.

On return to New Zealand, Brigadier Lott was appointed as the Officer Commanding of 3 Field Workshop. On the re-organisation of the New Zealand Army, the workshop was redesignated the Ready Reaction Force Workshop.

In January 1991 Brigadier Lott was selected to attend the Australian Command and Staff College, Queenscliff. On his return to New Zealand he assumed the appointment of Staff Officer Grade Two Capability, Army Materiel Agency, Headquarters Support Command.

In October 1993 Brigadier Lott was promoted to his Lieutenant Colonel and deployed to the United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM), as a Logistics Operations Senior Staff Officer. In March 1994 he returned to Headquarters Support Command as the Staff Officer Grade One Plans. In January 1995 Brigadier Lott assumed the appointment of Commanding Officer, 2nd Logistics Battalion. In May 1998 he was posted to the appointment as G4 (Logistics), Land Command.

In April 2000, Brigadier Lott was posted to the appointment as the Director Fleet Acquisition and Management, Logistic Executive. Two years later in April 2002 Brigadier Lott was posted to Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force Wellington when he assumed the appointment of Director Resources Policy and Programmes, on promotion to Colonel. With effect January 2004 Brigadier Lott assumed the appointment as the Director of Logistic Development. Brigadier Lott assumed the appointment of co Leader of the Joint Logistics Support Organisation Project, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, Wellington in January 2005.
 
In 2007 Brigadier Lott completed the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies course, Canberra, graduating with a Master of Arts in Defence and Strategic Studies and as a Fellow of the College of Defence and Strategic Studies. On his return to New Zealand in December 2007, he was appointed the Logistics Commander (Land), Defence Logistic Command.

With effect 26 April 2011, Brigadier Lott was promoted to his current rank and assumed his current job of Deputy Chief of Army.

Brigadier Lott graduated with a Master of Business of Integrated Logistics Management from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in December 2002.

In January 2001 Brigadier Lott was awarded the Additional Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of his role as G4 Land Command and Chief of Logistics during the mobilisation of the Joint Forces to East Timor, from June to December 2000.

Brigadier Lott is married to Linda and they have two children.