William J. Burns

William Joseph Burns is an American diplomat born on April 16, 1956. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2021 to 2025 and was the first career diplomat to lead the agency.

• Deputy Secretary of State (2011-2014)
• U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2005-2008)
• U.S. Ambassador to Jordan (1998-2001)
• Career foreign service officer with 33 years of diplomatic experience

During his tenure as CIA Director, Burns oversaw the intelligence community's engagement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). His leadership coincided with a period of unprecedented government focus on the subject.

• Involved in the establishment of AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
• Oversaw the broader intelligence community's reassessment of UAP
• Made public comments acknowledging the seriousness with which the intelligence community treated UAP reports
• Positioned at the center of classified briefings regarding UAP encounters by military personnel
• Emphasized potential national security implications of UAP phenomena