John O. Brennan to give BBC One’s Dimbleby Lecture 2017
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John O. Brennan to give BBC One’s Dimbleby Lecture 2017.
Published: 13 March 2017
We are experiencing particularly interesting events, both domestically and internationally, and so it is an excellent time to have the former Director of the CIA deliver the lecture
John O. Brennan, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, will deliver this year’s Dimbleby Lecture on BBC One, becoming the 41st speaker of the annual lecture given in honour of legendary British broadcaster Richard Dimbleby.
BBC One will broadcast Mr. Brennan’s lecture in early April, following in the footsteps of eminent speakers such as The Prince of Wales, Terry Pratchett, Baroness Lane-Fox, Christine Lagarde and Bill Gates.
Mr. Brennan will assess the future prospects for security, stability, and disruption in a highly dynamic and technologically driven world.
Mr. Brennan says: “I am equally thrilled and honoured at the opportunity to deliver the 2017 Dimbleby Lecture, especially since it comes at a time of such global turbulence and challenge. I also see the invitation to give such an important lecture as testament to the very strong and mutually respectful and empowering partnership between American and British security and intelligence professionals."
Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, says: “We are experiencing particularly interesting events both domestically and internationally and so it is an excellent time to have John O. Brennan, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, deliver the Richard Dimbleby lecture this year, where he will provide his own unique view on issues that affect us all.”
Mr. Brennan served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013 until 2017, responsible for leading and managing intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, counterintelligence, and liaison relationships with foreign intelligence services.
From 2009 to 2013, he served as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, advising President Obama on counterterrorism strategy and helped coordinate the US Government’s approach to homeland security, including its policies for responding to terrorism, cyber-attacks, natural disasters and pandemics.
Mr. Brennan began his service in government at CIA, where he worked from 1980 to 2005. He spent most of his early career in the Agency specializing in the Near East and South Asia before directing counterterrorism analysis in the early 1990s. In 1994 and 1995 he was the Agency’s intelligence briefer to President Bill Clinton.
The lecture was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, and Alison Kirkham, Controller of Factual Commissioning. It will be produced by Victoria Simpson and the executive producer is Phil Dolling, Head of BBC Events.
The Dimbleby Lecture 2017 will be broadcast on BBC One in early April, and available to catch up on BBC iPlayer.
Notes to Editors
The Dimbleby Lecture
Every year the BBC broadcasts a television lecture by a well-recognised leader in their field on a subject of national or international importance. It is a tradition that honours the legendary British broadcaster, Richard Dimbleby, and has run for over four decades. The first lecture was given in 1972 by Lord Annan entitled What Are Universities For Anyhow - himself a Provost of UCL. Last year’s lecture, Is Shakespeare Chinese? was given by the Artistic Director of the RSC, Greg Doran, in the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
In previous years the speakers have included: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales; former President Bill Clinton; Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde; Bill Gates; the writer Sir Terry Pratchett; The Archbishop of Canterbury; author Michael Morpurgo and dotcom pioneer Baroness Lane-Fox.
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