# Deputy Director of the CIA for Operations

The deputy director of the CIA for operations is a senior United States government official in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who serves as head of the Directorate of Operations. The position was established December 1, 1950 and from January 4, 1951, until March 1, 1973, it was known as Deputy Director of Plans (DDP). When this unit was known as the Directorate of Plans, it at first accounted for about 75% of the CIA budget and about 60% of the personnel within the CIA.
After staying named the deputy director of plans until 1973, the position was then known as Deputy Director for Operations (DDO) until December 17, 2004 when, under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the position was renamed to Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS). When David Marlowe was chosen to lead the Directorate of Operations by CIA Director William J. Burns in June 2021, media reported his position as being titled Deputy Director of Operations.

## List of Directors

| Name | Start | End | President(s) |
| Allen Dulles | January 4, 1951 | August 23, 1951 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| Frank Wisner | August 23, 1951 | January 1, 1959 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| Frank Wisner | August 23, 1951 | January 1, 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| Richard Bissell | January 1, 1959 | February 17, 1962 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| Richard Bissell | January 1, 1959 | February 17, 1962 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| Richard Helms | February 17, 1962 | April 28, 1965 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| Richard Helms | February 17, 1962 | April 28, 1965 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| Desmond FitzGerald | June 28, 1965 | July 23, 1967 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| Thomas Karamessines | July 31, 1967 | February 27, 1973 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| Thomas Karamessines | July 31, 1967 | February 27, 1973 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| William Colby | March 2, 1973 | August 24, 1973 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| William Nelson | August 24, 1973 | May 14, 1976 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| William Nelson | August 24, 1973 | May 14, 1976 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| William Wells | May 15, 1976 | December 31, 1977 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| William Wells | May 15, 1976 | December 31, 1977 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| John McMahon | January 11, 1978 | April 12, 1981 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| John McMahon | January 11, 1978 | April 12, 1981 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Max Hugel | May 11, 1981 | July 14, 1981 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| John Stein | July 14, 1981 | July 1, 1984 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Clair George | July 1, 1984 | December 1, 1987 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Richard Stolz | January 4, 1988 | December 31, 1990 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| Richard Stolz | January 4, 1988 | December 31, 1990 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| Thomas Twetten | January 1, 1991 | December 1993 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| Thomas Twetten | January 1, 1991 | December 1993 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| Hugh Price | January 1994 | 1995 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| David Cohen | 1995 | 1997 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| Jack G. Downing | 1997 | July 1999 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| James Pavitt | August 1999 | June 4, 2004 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| James Pavitt | August 1999 | June 4, 2004 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| Stephen Kappes | June 5, 2004 | November 15, 2004 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| Jose Rodriguez | November 16, 2004 | September 30, 2007 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| Michael Sulick | September 30, 2007 | July 30, 2010 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| Michael Sulick | September 30, 2007 | July 30, 2010 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| John Bennett | July 30, 2010 | February 28, 2013 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| Gina Haspel Acting | February 28, 2013 | May 7, 2013 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| Frank Archibald | May 7, 2013 | January 29, 2015 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| Greg Vogle | January 29, 2015 | August 2017 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| Greg Vogle | January 29, 2015 | August 2017 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| Beth Kimber | December 10, 2018 | June 2021 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| Beth Kimber | December 10, 2018 | June 2021 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| David Marlowe | June 2021 | June 2023 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| Tom Sylvester | June 2023 | present | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| Tom Sylvester | June 2023 | present | Donald Trump (2025–present) |

## Sources

* ↑ "Frank Gardiner Wisner, Lieutenant, United States Navy". April 9, 2023.
* 1 2 Strobel, Warren (June 16, 2021). "CIA Names David Marlowe to Run Espionage Operations". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
* ↑ Schnell, Mychael (June 17, 2021). "30-year CIA veteran to run espionage operations". The Hill. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
* ↑ Hoffman, Daniel (July 1, 2021). "At the CIA, Dave Marlowe is an inspired choice for a critical job". Washington Times. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
* 1 2 Jeff Stein (August 7, 2014). "CIA Vaults a Woman into Top Spy Ranks". Newsweek. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
* ↑ Mazzetti, Mark; Apuzzo, Matt (April 25, 2015). "Deep Support in Washington for C.I.A.'s Drone Missions". The New York Times (New York ed.). p. A1. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015. Mr. Brennan recently named Greg Vogel... to take over the C.I.A.'s vaunted Directorate of Operations
* ↑ Shapira, Ian (September 18, 2017). "The CIA Acknowledges the Legendary Spy Who Saved Hamid Karzai's Life—and Honors Him by Name". The Washington Post.
* ↑ "McChrystal Group - Greg Vogle". McChrystal Group.
* ↑ Volz, Warren P. Strobel and Dustin (December 7, 2018). "CIA Names First Woman to Lead Clandestine Operations". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
* ↑ "No, Elizabeth Kimber is not the first woman picked to head the CIA's clandestine operations". American Enterprise Institute. December 10, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
* ↑ "Beth Kimber Becomes First Woman to Run CIA's Spy Network". NBC News. December 7, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
* CIA's senior management structure, letter dated July 2, 1991 from William H. Webster, Director of Central Intelligence to U.S. Senator John Glenn, Select Senate Committee on Intelligence.
* "CIA plans riskier, more aggressive espionage," USA Today, November 17, 2004.
* Director Leon E. Panetta Announces New National Clandestine Service Chief, press release dated July 21, 2010.