Stella Rimington

Dame Stella Rimington was the first woman to hold the post of Director General of MI5, the UK’s Security Service. She also made history as the first Director General whose name was publicly announced on appointment.

Rimington became Director General of MI5 in 1992 and during her tenure, she pursued a policy of greater openness for MI5, seeking to explain to the public what the Service is and what its responsibilities are. Her approach included giving the 1994 Dimbleby Lecture on BBC TV and publishing a booklet about the Service. Under her leadership, MI5 assumed responsibility for all intelligence work against the Provisional IRA outside Northern Ireland and began addressing organized crime. She also led the Service's counter-espionage work during the closing days of the Cold War and was in charge of counter-terrorism efforts during major events like the Lockerbie airline disaster.

Rimington's career at MI5 spanned from 1969 to 1996, during which she worked in all the main fields of the Service's responsibilities - counter-subversion, counter-espionage, and counter-terrorism - and became Director of all three branches. As the Cold War ended, she led a delegation to establish contacts with the former KGB. Her broad experience in these critical areas allows her to offer valuable insights on risk management, leadership, teamwork, organizational change, and communication.

Before joining MI5, Rimington started working in 1959 as an Assistant Archivist in the Worcestershire County Record Office, and later transferred to the India Office Library in London. She left work in 1965 to accompany her husband to New Delhi, India, where she worked part-time for MI5. She rejoined MI5 full-time upon returning to the UK, significantly contributing to national and international security during her tenure.