Sir John Anthony Adye KCMG (born 24 October 1939) is a former Director of the British signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, a post he held from 1989 to 1996.^[1]

Adye was born to Arthur Francis Capel Adye and Hilda Marjorie (née Elkes). Educated at Leighton Park School and Lincoln College, Oxford,^[2] Adye joined GCHQ in 1962 becoming Director in 1989. After retiring from GCHQ in 1996, he served as the chair of the Country Houses Association until 2002.^[3] In 1993 Adye was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.^[1] In 2005 he was appointed to the board of the US National Biometric Security Project.^[3]

Adye was a witness in February 2008 at the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales: in an unprecedented move (normal policy is neither to confirm nor deny operational activities), he strenuously denied that GCHQ had any involvement in either the Camillagate or Squidgygate tapes.^[4]