Britain names first GCHQ intelligence agency female director

Anne Keast-Butler became Britain’s first female director of the GCHQ intelligence agency on Tuesday, according to Reuters. She is currently serving as the deputy director of the MI5, Britain’s intelligence agency.

James Cleverly, the foreign secretary who made the appointment, 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,”

Cleverly also added that she is the ideal candidate for the position, and that she will use her experience to “help keep the British public safe.”

Keast-Butler will take the role over in May to succeed Jeremy Fleming, who announced his departure in January after leading the agency for six years, according to GCHQ statement.