Jonathan Evans, Baron Evans of Weardale

The Lord Evans of Weardale
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service Security Service
Active 1980–2013
Rank Director General
Born 1958
Nationality British
Occupation Intelligence officer
Alma mater University of Bristol

Jonathan Evans, Baron Evans of Weardale, KCB, DL (born 1958[1]) was Director-General of the British Security Service, the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence service. He took over the role on the retirement of his predecessor Eliza Manningham-Buller (later, The Baroness Manningham-Buller DCB) on 21 April 2007. Evans was succeeded by Andrew Parker on 22 April 2013.

Biography

He was educated at Sevenoaks School and Bristol University where he read classical studies,[2][3] Evans joined the Security Service in 1980, and initially worked in counter espionage.[4]

In 1985 he moved to the protective security function, dealing with internal and personnel security, before switching to domestic counter-terrorism in the late 1980s.[4] For more than a decade he was involved with the effort to combat the domestic threat of groups such as the Provisional IRA during The Troubles.

In 1999, with the violence in Northern Ireland greatly reduced due to the Good Friday Agreement, Evans moved to G-Branch,[5] the section of MI5 which deals with international terrorism. There he became an expert on al-Qaeda[6] and other branches of Islamic terrorism. He rose to head the section in 2001 (only a few days before the September 11, 2001 attacks), a position which put him on the service's board of management. In 2005, he became Deputy Director-General before being promoted to head the organisation in 2007.[7]

In November 2007, Evans talked publicly about the threat the UK faces from digital espionage.[8] He spoke at RUSI on National Security in February 2008. He has a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.

In July 2010, the government revealed Evans received an annual salary of £159,999.[9]

In September 2010, Evans said that Anwar al-Awlaki was the West’s Public Enemy No 1.[10]

In January 2012, the Daily Mail newspaper alleged that Evans had been leading a "lobbying campaign" to allow the use of secret evidence in court, and give government ministers "sweeping powers" to withhold evidence they deem 'sensitive' from civil court hearings and inquests.[11]

Evans was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to defence.[12]

Evans was succeeded by Andrew Parker on 22 April 2013.[13][14]

After retiring as Director General, Evans joined the Board of HSBC Holdings as a Non-Executive Director.[15] He is also a non-executive director of Ark Data Centres,[16] a senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute[17] and an Honorary Professor at the University of St Andrews.[18] From 2014 to 2015 he was a non-executive director of the National Crime Agency.[19] He writes occasionally in the Sunday Times on classic cars.[20]

On 21 October 2014, it was announced that he was to become a Crossbench life peer, having been nominated personally by the Prime Minister.[21] He was created Baron Evans of Weardale, of Toys Hill in the County of Kent, on 3 December 2014.[22] In January 2015 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.[23]

References

  1. ↑ EVANS Jonathan, World Who's Who (Europa Biographical Reference)
  2. ↑ Administrator. "Iris Online". irisonline.org.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Andrew, Christopher (2009). The Defence of the Realm. Allen Lane. p. 806. ISBN 978-0-7139-9885-6.
  4. 1 2 Gordon Corera (7 March 2007). "From the Cold War to al-Qaeda". BBC News. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  5. ↑ Leppard, David (17 December 2006). "New MI5 boss is top expert on Al-Qaeda". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  6. ↑ Cobain, Ian (9 January 2007). "MI5 told MPs on eve of 7/7: no imminent terror threat". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  7. ↑ "MI5 deputy to take over as head". BBC News. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  8. ↑ "BBC NEWS - Business - MI5 warns over China spy threat". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "Quango chiefs' salaries revealed". BBC News. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  10. ↑ Peter Johnston (17 September 2010). "Anwar al Awlaki: the new Osama bin Laden?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  11. ↑ David Rose (8 January 2012). "Secret justice: How Cameron and Clegg vowed to hand back our liberties but are instead planning illiberal changes to justice system". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60367. p. 2. 29 December 2012.
  13. ↑ "Appointment of the new Director General of the Security Service". Home Office. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  14. ↑ "Director General". MI5. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  15. ↑ "BBC News - HSBC appoints ex-MI5 chief Sir Jonathan Evans to board". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  16. ↑ "Ark Data Centres announces appointment of Jonathan Evans - DataCentres.com". datacentres.com. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Sir Jonathan Evans KCB". RUSI. 2001-09-01. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  18. ↑ "CSTPV - Jonathan Evans". St-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  19. ↑ "National Crime Agency - Resignation of non-executive director". nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  20. ↑ Richard Kerbaj and Nick Rufford (2013-04-28). "The one thing Q wouldn't give me". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  21. ↑ "Press Notice: Peerages conferred". www.gov.uk. Prime Minister's Office. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  22. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 61068. p. 23622. 8 December 2014.
  23. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 61120. p. 1094. 6 February 2015.
Government offices
Preceded by
Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller		 Director General of MI5
2007–2013 		Succeeded by
Andrew Parker
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