Director-General of MI5
Encyclopedia
The Director General of the Security Service is the head of the Security Service (commonly known as MI5
), the United Kingdom
's internal counter-intelligence
and security agency
. The Director-General is assisted by a Deputy Director-General and an Assistant Director-General, and reports to the Home Secretary
, although the Security Service is not formally part of the Home Office
.
The present Director General is Jonathan Evans
, who has held the role since April 2007.
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
), the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's internal counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
and security agency
Security agency
A security agency is a governmental organization which conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a nation. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies...
. The Director-General is assisted by a Deputy Director-General and an Assistant Director-General, and reports to the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, although the Security Service is not formally part of the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
.
The present Director General is Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Evans (MI5 officer)
Jonathan Evans is the Director General of the British Security Service, the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence service...
, who has held the role since April 2007.
List of Directors General
- Maj Gen Sir Vernon Kell, 1909–1940
- Brigadier 'Jasper' HarkerOswald Allen HarkerOswald Allen Harker CBE , also called Brigadier 'Jasper' Harker, was Acting Director General of MI5 from 1940 to 1941.-Career:Harker served as the Deputy Director General prior to his promotion. He was promoted to acting Director General of MI5 in June 1940 when Major-General Sir Vernon Kell was...
, ActingActing (law)In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
June 1940–April 1941 - Sir David PetrieDavid PetrieSir David Petrie, KCMG, CIE, CVO, CBE, KPM was director general of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1941 to 1946...
, 1941–1946 - Sir Percy SillitoePercy SillitoeSir Percy Joseph Sillitoe KBE was Director General of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1946 to 1953...
, 1946–1953 - Sir Dick WhiteDick WhiteSir Dick Goldsmith White, KCMG, KBE , was a British intelligence officer. He was Director-General of MI5 from 1953 to 1956, and Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1956 to 1968.-Career:...
, 1953–1956 - Sir Roger HollisRoger HollisSir Roger Henry Hollis, KBE, CB was a British journalist and secret-service agent, who was Director General of MI5 from 1956 to 1965.-Early years:...
, 1956–1965 - Sir Martin Furnival JonesMartin Furnival JonesSir Martin Furnival Jones, KCB was Director General of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1965 until 1972.-Career:...
, 1965–1972 - Sir Michael HanleyMichael HanleySir Michael Bowen Hanley KCB was director general of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1972 to 1978.-Career:...
, 1972–1979 - Sir Howard Smith, 1979–1981
- Sir John Jones, 1981–1985
- Sir Antony Duff, 1985–1988
- Sir Patrick Walker, 1988–1991
- Dame Stella RimingtonStella RimingtonDame Stella Rimington, DCB is a British author, who was the Director General of MI5 from 1992 to 1996. She was the first female DG of MI5, and the first DG whose name was publicised on appointment...
, 1992–1996 - Sir Stephen LanderStephen LanderSir Stephen James Lander, KCB is a former chairman of the United Kingdom's Serious Organised Crime Agency , who also served as Director-General of the British Security Service from 1996 to 2002.-Career:...
, 1996–2002 - Dame Eliza Manningham-BullerEliza Manningham-BullerElizabeth Lydia "Eliza" Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, DCB was Director General of MI5, the British internal Security Service, from October 2002 until her retirement on 20 April 2007, aged 58....
, October 2002–20 April 2007 - Jonathan EvansJonathan Evans (MI5 officer)Jonathan Evans is the Director General of the British Security Service, the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence service...
, 20 April 2007–present