Essenhigh attended the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Staff College, Camberley in 1992 before being promoted to commodore and becoming Director of Naval Plans and Programmes at the Ministry of Defence later that year. Following promotion to rear admiral, he took up the position of Hydrographer of the Navy in February 1994, and was subsequently Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Programmes) from March 1996. In September 1998 he was promoted to full admiral and was appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief Fleet as well as NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic and NATO Commander Allied Naval Forces North West Europe. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1999 Birthday Honours.