William Joseph Burns

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William Joseph Burns
8th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Assumed office
March 19 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyDavid S. Cohen
Preceded byGina Haspel
17th United States Deputy Secretary of State
In office
July 28, 2011 – November 3, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJames Steinberg
Succeeded byAntony Blinken
United States Secretary of State
Acting
In office
January 20, 2009 – January 21, 2009
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byCondoleezza Rice
Succeeded byHillary Clinton
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
In office
May 13, 2008 – July 28, 2011
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byR. Nicholas Burns
Succeeded byWendy Sherman
5th United States Ambassador to Russia
In office
November 8, 2005 – May 13, 2008
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byAlexander Vershbow
Succeeded byJohn Beyrle
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
In office
June 4, 2001 – March 2, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byEdward S. Walker Jr.
Succeeded byDavid Welch
United States Ambassador to Jordan
In office
August 9, 1998 – June 4, 2001
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byWesley Egan
Succeeded byEdward Gnehm
Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State
In office
January 16, 1996 – February 27, 1998
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byKenneth C. Brill
Succeeded byKristie Kenney
Personal details
Born (1956-04-04) April 4, 1956 (age 67)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
EducationLa Salle University (BA)
St John's College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil)

William Joseph Burns (born April 11, 1956) is an American politician. Burns is the 8th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency since March 19, 2021 during the Joe Biden administration. He was President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.[1] He was United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2011 to 2014.

He was Ambassador of the United States to Jordan from 1998 to 2001, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs from 2001 to 2005, Ambassador of the United States to the Russian Federation from 2005 to 2008, and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2008 to 2011.[2]

On January 11, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden nominated him to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[3] On March 18, 2021 the United States Senate confirmed his nomination.[4]

In July 2023, Biden elevated Burns to a position in his cabinet, a largely symbolic action.[5]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Ambassador William J. Burns Named Next Carnegie President". National Endowment for Democracy (NEFD). 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. "Career Ambassadors - Principal Officers - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  3. "Biden Names Career Diplomat William J. Burns As Nominee For CIA Director". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  4. CNN, Jeremy Herb. "Senate confirms William Burns to be next CIA director after Cruz lifts hold". CNN. Retrieved 2021-03-18. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. Shear, Michael D. (2023-07-21). "Biden Elevates C.I.A. Director to Become a Member of the Cabinet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-21.

Other websites[change | change source]