Stella Rimington
Stella Rimington was the Director-General (DG) of MI5, 1992-1996. She was the first female DG of MI5, and the first DG whose name was publicised on appointment.Stella Rimington was educated at Nottingham Girls High School, and at Edinburgh University.
She joined MI5 in 1967 whilst in India. Between 1969 and 1996 she worked in all three branches of the Security Service (counter subversion, counter espionage and counter terrorism), eventually rising to the position of Director General in 1992. She was the first woman to hold this position, and the first DG whose appointment was publicly announced.
As DG at MI5, she oversaw a (largely succesful) public relations campaign to improve the openness of the service and increase public transparency. She controversially continued this policy by publishing full and frank memoirs after retirement.
