Ken McCallum has been appointed the new director general of MI5, the security service has said.
Mr McCallum led counter terrorism investigations during the London 2012 Olympic Games and MI5’s response to the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in 2018.
Currently deputy director general, he has worked there for nearly 25 years, a statement said. He succeeds Sir Andrew Parker, who retires in April after seven years.
Originally from Glasgow, Mr McCallum spent his first years at MI5 focusing on Northern Ireland-related terrorism, and later specialised in countering Islamist extremist terrorism. He led its strategic response to the series of terror attacks that took place in 2017 and has also worked on cyber-security.
Mr McCallum said: “MI5’s purpose is hugely motivating. Our people – with our partners – strive to keep the country safe, and they always want to go the extra mile.”
Sir Andrew Parker said he is “the right person to take MI5 forward” as the country “deals with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic”.