Former CIA chief to deliver Dimbleby Lecture
The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John O Brennan, will deliver the annual Dimbleby Lecture this year.
He will become the 41st speaker at the annual lecture given in honour of British broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, which will be broadcast on BBC One.
Previous speakers include the Prince of Wales, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Terry Pratchett, Baroness Lane-Fox and Christine Lagarde.
Mr Brennan, who was director of the CIA from 2013 until President Donald Trump's inauguration earlier this year, will discuss the future prospects for security, stability, and disruption in a technologically driven world.
He said: "I am equally thrilled and honoured at the opportunity to deliver the 2017 Dimbleby Lecture, especially since it comes at a time of such global turbulence and challenge.
"I also see the invitation to give such an important lecture as testament to the very strong and mutually respectful and empowering partnership between American and British security and intelligence professionals."
Before taking on his role at the CIA he was Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism, advising former president Barack Obama on counter-terrorism strategy and helping coordinate the US government's approach to homeland security, including its policies for responding to terrorism, cyber-attacks, natural disasters, and pandemics.
Mr Brennan began his service in government at CIA, where he worked from 1980 to 2005 and in 1994 and 1995 he was the Agency's intelligence briefer to Mr Clinton.
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC content, said: "We are experiencing particularly interesting events both domestically and internationally and so it is an excellent time to have John O Brennan, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, deliver the Richard Dimbleby lecture this year, where he will provide his own unique view on issues that affect us all."
The Dimbleby Lecture 2017 will be broadcast on BBC One in early April, and available to catch up on BBC iPlayer.
