Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence

Dame Anne Keast-Butler, the first female director of GCHQ, in conversation with historian and founder of the Women’s Intelligence Network, Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall on the forgotten voices of women in the world of secret intelligence.

About the speakers:

Anne Keast-Butler is the Director of GCHQ, the UK’s Intelligence, Cyber and Security Agency. She was appointed in 2023 and is the 17th person to hold the role.

Prior to her appointment, Anne was Deputy Director General MI5. She was the Director General for all operational, investigative and protective security work. This has included MI5’s – and allies’ - preparation for, and response to, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Immediately prior to this role, Anne was Director General Strategy, with responsibility for all the enabling functions that support MI5’s operational activities.

Prior to this, Anne 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. Whilst there, she helped to launch the National Cyber Security Programme.

During her thirty years in the national security field, Anne has held a number of key operational roles in MI5 and is a passionate advocate of diversity, flexible working and nurturing talent.

Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall is a leading historian and author specialising in the forgotten voices of women in the world of secret intelligence. She also writes and speaks on the subjects of dress and disguise and secret gadgetry. Her debut book Her Secret Service was published by W&N in 2024.

Claire has held lecturing posts in several British universities and is an honorary Associate Professor of Intelligence History at Bishop Grosseteste University, where she worked for nearly 14 years leading the undergraduate Military History programme.

A founding Board member of the Women’s Intelligence Network, Claire is committed to promoting and supporting research on women, and by women, in the field of intelligence. She is a strong supporter of heritage sites and museums devoted to the history of espionage. She is currently a trustee of the Medmenham Collection.

She has appeared as a subject specialist on TV documentaries and radio and has written for popular history magazines. She lives in Lincoln with her husband and family.

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