Anne Keast-Butler named as new director of GCHQ

MI5 deputy director general and long-serving intelligence expert Anne Keast-Butler has been named as the next director of GCHQ, succeeding the outgoing Jeremy Fleming.

Keast-Butler, who becomes the first woman to lead the UK’s signals intelligence and cyber security agency, within which sits the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will take up the post from May 2023.

In her present role, Keast-Butler has been leading on MI5’s operational, investigative and protective security work, including the agency’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Over the years, she has held multiple operational roles within MI5, but has also spent time seconded to GCHQ as head of counter-terrorism and serious organised crime, and did a stint at Whitehall during which she was a key driver behind the National Cyber Security Programme – which established the NCSC in 2016.

“I am delighted to be appointed as the 17th director of GCHQ [whose] mission to keep the UK safe is as inspiring today as it was when it was founded more than 100 years ago, operating at the very heart of the UK and our allies’ response to some of the most challenging issues of our time,” said Keast-Butler.

“In just the last year, GCHQ has contributed vital intelligence to shape the West’s response to the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine; helped disrupt terrorist plots; and worked tirelessly to tackle the ongoing threat of ransomware, the impact of which costs the UK dearly.

“I was privileged to work in GCHQ a few years ago, so I know I am again joining a world-class team of people from diverse backgrounds with a broad range of skills, who share a singular focus on making our country safer, more secure and more prosperous. I am passionate about continuing to ensure that GCHQ is an organisation where everyone can perform to their very best.

“I am so grateful for the vision and dedication Sir Jeremy Fleming has shown during his tenure, and the ways in which GCHQ has transformed under his leadership. I look forward to building on this in the months and years to come. I can’t wait to get started,” she said.

Jeremy Fleming added: “Anne’s appointment is fantastic news for the organisation. I have worked with Anne for decades and think she is a brilliant choice with deep experience of intelligence and security in today’s technology-driven world.”

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said: “Anne Keast-Butler has an impressive track record at the heart of the UK’s national security network, helping to counter threats posed by terrorists, cyber criminals and malign foreign powers.

“She is the ideal candidate to lead GCHQ, and Anne will use her vast experience to help keep the British public safe.”