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United States William J. Burns has carved a distinguished career in diplomacy and intelligence, transitioning from a career diplomat and various ambassadorial roles to serving as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
William J. Burns is a former career diplomat who served as director of the CIA and deputy secretary of state. He is the author of The Back.
William Joseph Burns (born April 11, 1956) is an American diplomat and served as the 8th director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Biden.
William J. Burns delivers a compelling, insider's perspective on the shifting landscape of global security, intelligence strategy, and diplomatic statecraft.
CIA Director William J. Burns received the J. Raymond “Jit” Trainor Award for Excellence in the Conduct of Diplomacy.
CIA Director William J. Burns sits down with Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly at the 2024 Threat Conference.
A rare glimpse behind the scenes of the CIA from William Burns, the esteemed agency's Director. In this off-the-record discussion targeted to senior executives.
BURNS is Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. More by ... I'm deeply proud of the work that the CIA and our intelligence partners ...
DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY). I have nearly three and a half decades of experience in national security affairs, including serving as a U.S..
As C.I.A. director, William J. Burns was deeply focused on China and Russia when the Middle East conflict plunged him back into his old life.
William Joseph Burns was born on April 11, 1956, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His early education led him to Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1973. He furthered his studies at La Salle University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1978. Demonstrating academic excellence, he became La Salle’s first Marshall Scholar, which allowed him to pursue M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees in international relations at St. John’s College, Oxford. His doctoral thesis, completed in 1985, was titled “Economic Aid and American Policy toward Egypt, 1955–1981.”
Burns embarked on his extensive career in the U.S. Foreign Service in 1982, serving for 32 years until his retirement in 2014. During this period, he held significant diplomatic positions, including Executive Secretary of the State Department, Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and various roles within the Policy Planning Staff and National Security Council. His ambassadorial assignments included Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs from 2001 to 2005, and Ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008. He was appointed Under Secretary for Political Affairs from 2008 to 2011 and subsequently served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State from 2011 to 2014. In 2008, President George W. Bush nominated him as a career ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Following his retirement from the Foreign Service, Burns became the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he served from 2014 to 2021. In January 2021, President Joe Biden nominated him as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a role he was unanimously confirmed for by the Senate on March 18, 2021, and officially sworn into on March 19, 2021, serving until January 20, 2025. In July 2023, Biden elevated Burns to a cabinet position. Throughout his career, Burns has been recognized for his diplomatic skills, including leading secret bilateral channels with Iran that contributed to the multi-national Iran nuclear deal. He has published a memoir, “The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal,” in 2019.
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