Anne Keast-Butler

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Anne Keast-Butler
Born
Anne Louise Keast-Butler

1970 (age 54–55)
Cambridge, England
Alma mater Merton College, Oxford
Occupation Intelligence
Employer(s) MI5, GCHQ
Known forDirector of GCHQ (2023–)

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]

Contents

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] While 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] She was also made an Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford in 2024. [5]

Personal life

Keast-Butler grew up in Cambridge. Her father was a consultant ophthalmologist with academic roles at the University of Cambridge. [6] She studied for a degree in mathematics from Merton College, Oxford. [2]

She is married, with three children. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "New Director GCHQ announced". www.gchq.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Quinn, Ben (11 April 2023). "Anne Keast-Butler to become first female director of GCHQ". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Fellows' Honours and Appointments" (PDF). Postmaster and the Merton Record. UK: Merton College, Oxford. 2024. p. 117. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Downing, John (13 April 2023). "Cambridge woman Anne Keast-Butler to be first female director at GCHQ". Cambridge Independent. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
Government offices
Preceded by Director of GCHQ
2023 – Present		Succeeded by
incumbent
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