Gina Haspel

“I know CIA like the back of my hand.”

“When a very tough, old school leader announced that I was his pick to be Chief of Station in a small but important frontier post, a few competitors complained to me directly 'why would they send you?' I owe that leader much for believing in me at a time when few women were given these opportunities.”

“For me, as for our entire Agency family, the 129 stars on CIA's Memorial Wall are more than just symbols. They are solemn reminders of friends and colleagues who answered their nation's call, and who willingly risked their lives to protect us all.”

“CIA has learned some tough lessons, especially when asked to tackle missions that fall outside our expertise.”

“After 9/11, I didn't look to go sit on the Swiss desk - I stepped up. I was not on the sidelines.”

“CIA has been treated with enormous respect and our expertise is valued for what we bring to the table.”

“Within the Intelligence Community, CIA is the keeper of the human intelligence mission. Technical forms of collection are vital, but a good human source is unique and can deliver decisive intelligence on our adversaries' secrets - even their intent.”

“People often ask CIA Directors what keeps them up at night. Between rogue WMD programs, cyber threats, terrorist organizations, great power rivalries, and other global threats, there's bound to be more than a single reason I'm losing sleep on any given night.”

“I would not allow CIA to undertake activity that is immoral, even if it is technically legal.”

“The first boots on the ground in Afghanistan were my colleagues.”

“We must learn from the past, but we cannot dwell in the past.”

“We try and be as open as we can, and to protect the secrets that we must protect.”

“The American people and our allies around the world can rely on CIA's vigilance, excellence, and determination to proudly serve.”

“As both a career intelligence officer and as an American citizen, I am a strong believer in the importance of oversight. Simply put, experience has taught us that CIA cannot be effective without the people's trust, and we cannot hope to earn that trust without the accountability that comes with Congressional oversight.”

“Hostile states' use of proxies in war zones to inflict damage on U.S. interests and troops is a constant, longstanding concern.”

“I wrote a letter to the CIA on my manual college typewriter. I mailed it to CIA with my resume. I didn't have an address. So I just put, 'CIA. Washington, D.C.'”

“I think it's very important, I think for any leader as you go through a career you have to learn the leadership lessons.”

“Intelligence services all over the world, in order to retain their competitive edge, have to adapt or they won't survive.”

“From my first days in training, I had a knack for the nuts and bolts of my profession.”

“A lot has changed since I first arrived at CIA, but our mission remains as relevant and important as ever. And this is what makes our officers excited to come to work each morning, including me.”