Role Armed force officer Name Alex Younger | ||
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Born 4 July 1963 (age 61) ( 1963-07-04 ) | ||
MI6 chief Alex Younger tells Russia: Don't underestimate our capabilities
Alexander William "Alex" Younger (born 4 July 1963) is a career British intelligence officer for the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) who, from November 2014 has served as the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, succeeding Sir John Sawers on his retirement.
Contents
- MI6 chief Alex Younger tells Russia Dont underestimate our capabilities
- Early life
- Military service
- Intelligence work
- References
Early life
Younger was born on 4 July 1963. He was educated at Marlborough College and graduated from university with a degree in economics. He married Sarah Hopkins in Borgo a Mozzano, Tuscany in 1993.
Military service
Younger was sponsored by the British Army through university. He was commissioned into the Royal Scots on 5 September 1986 as a second lieutenant (on probation). As a University Candidate he was a full-time student at university and trained in his spare time. On 10 December 1986, he transferred to the Scots Guards.
On 16 June 1987, his commission was confirmed and dated to 5 September 1986; this signified the start of his full-time military service. He was granted seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 9 April 1983. He was promoted to lieutenant, which was back dated to 5 September 1986, and was granted seniority from 9 April 1985. He was promoted to captain on 5 April 1989. On 10 April 1990, he transferred to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, thereby ending his active military service.
Intelligence work
Younger joined SIS in 1991. He served in the Middle East and Afghanistan. He became head of counter-intelligence in 2009, in which role he was involved in security for the London Olympics 2012. He became Deputy Director in 2012, before being nominated as Chief in October 2014.
In a leaked list of 160 MI6 agents - which was originally believed to have been released by Richard Tomlinson, although government officials subsequently "acknowledged that the list did not come from Mr Tomlinson" - Alex Younger is mentioned as having been posted to Vienna in 1995.
As of 2015, Younger was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999 by SIS, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.
In 2016 Younger said cyber-attacks, propaganda and subversion from hostile states pose a “fundamental threat” to European democracies including the UK. In a rare speech by an MI6 chief while in office Younger did not specifically name Russia but left no doubt that this was the target of his remarks. Russia has since been accused of interfering in the US presidential election and there are concerns it could do the same in French and German elections in 2017.