Anne Keast-Butler

Anne Louise Keast-Butler is the Director of GCHQ, the UK's Intelligence, Cyber and Security Agency. Appointed in May 2023,[1][2][3] she is the seventeenth person to hold the role and succeeded Sir Jeremy Fleming.[1]

Career

Keast-Butler joined GCHQ from MI5, where she was Deputy Director General, responsible for MI5's operational, investigative and protective security work. This has included MI5's – and the allies' – preparation for and response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2]

In her previous Director General role, Keast-Butler was Director General Strategy, leading the enabling functions that support MI5’s operational activities.[1]

Prior to this, Keast-Butler spent two years on secondment to GCHQ as Head of Counter Terrorism and Serious Organised Crime and has also spent part of the last decade on secondment in Whitehall.[2] Whilst there, she helped to launch the National Cyber Security Programme.[3]

She was appointed Honorary Colonel Joint Service Signal Unit (Reserves) on 1 December 2024, with a commission as local colonel for the duration of the appointment.[4]

Personal life

Keast-Butler grew up in Cambridge. Her father was a consultant ophthalmologist with academic roles at the University of Cambridge.[5] She earned a degree in mathematics from Merton College, Oxford.[2]

She is married, with three children.[2]

References

1. "New Director GCHQ announced". www.gchq.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
2. Quinn, Ben (11 April 2023). "Anne Keast-Butler to become first female director of GCHQ". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
3. "Anne Keast-Butler to be first female director at GCHQ". BBC News. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
4. "No. 64628". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 January 2025. p. 504.
5. Downing, John (2023-04-13). "Cambridge woman Anne Keast-Butler to be first female director at GCHQ". Cambridge Independent. Retrieved 2023-11-03.

Government offices
Preceded by Jeremy Fleming	Director of GCHQ 2023 – Present	Succeeded by incumbent