Linda Weissgold – VISS25
Former Deputy Director for Analysis, CIA; Visiting Professor of the Practice, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University
Linda Weissgold was the CIA’s Deputy Director for Analysis from March 2020 until April 2023. In that role, she provided US policymakers and military leaders a decision advantage by identifying global risks, emerging trends, and actionable opportunities. She ensured the quality of CIA’s analysis and the professional development of the officers who produce it. A skilled leader and communicator experienced in the coverage of urgent and controversial issues under pressure, she served as President George W. Bush’s intelligence briefer for more than two years.
Linda was part of the creation and delivery of intelligence analysis on complex national security issues for close to four decades. Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she was an analyst and leader of analytic programs focused on the Middle East. Immediately afterward, she established and led a large, integrated staff of analysts and operations officers responsible for warning of terrorist organizations’ plans and intentions, as well as creating operations to detect and disrupt global terrorism threats. The units she guided informed US policy and operations across multiple Administrations and helped to identify Usama Bin Laden’s location and the rise of ISIS.
Linda served in C-suite roles at CIA for almost a decade and is recognized as a driver of innovation, including development of new tools and the use of artificial intelligence to produce and disseminate analytic products. Widely recognized for her dedication to the CIA’s national security mission and its officers, Linda is honored to be a member of the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. She is currently a Visiting Professor of the Practice at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, DC, where she is inspiring a new generation to take up the mantle of public service. She is also an active advisory board member for multiple companies.
Linda Weissgold was the CIA’s Deputy Director for Analysis from March 2020 until April 2023. In that role, she provided US policymakers and military leaders a decision advantage by identifying global risks, emerging trends, and actionable opportunities. She ensured the quality of CIA’s analysis and the professional development of the officers who produce it. A skilled leader and communicator experienced in the coverage of urgent and controversial issues under pressure, she served as President George W. Bush’s intelligence briefer for more than two years.
Linda was part of the creation and delivery of intelligence analysis on complex national security issues for close to four decades. Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she was an analyst and leader of analytic programs focused on the Middle East. Immediately afterward, she established and led a large, integrated staff of analysts and operations officers responsible for warning of terrorist organizations’ plans and intentions, as well as creating operations to detect and disrupt global terrorism threats. The units she guided informed US policy and operations across multiple Administrations and helped to identify Usama Bin Laden’s location and the rise of ISIS.
Linda served in C-suite roles at CIA for almost a decade and is recognized as a driver of innovation, including development of new tools and the use of artificial intelligence to produce and disseminate analytic products. Widely recognized for her dedication to the CIA’s national security mission and its officers, Linda is honored to be a member of the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. She is currently a Visiting Professor of the Practice at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, DC, where she is inspiring a new generation to take up the mantle of public service. She is also an active advisory board member for multiple companies.
