Fireside Chat with Director William J. Burns

Join us for an intimate evening of cocktails and conversation with former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William J. Burns. The Fireside Chat will be led by International Spy Museum Executive Director, Chris Costa, and will consist of stimulating conversation about geopolitics and global challenges. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be provided. 

Bill Burns is a Senior Advisor for Global Affairs at Evercore. Widely regarded as one of the most distinguished and respected American statesmen of the last century, Bill has served six Presidents and Administrations of both parties.

He most recently was Director of the CIA and a member of President Biden’s Cabinet, the first career diplomat to lead the CIA. At the end of three and a half decades in the Foreign Service, he became only the second serving career officer in history to become the Deputy Secretary of State. He also served as Ambassador to Russia and Jordan, and in a number of other senior posts.

Burns served from 2015 to 2021 as the President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. During those years, he wrote the bestselling book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for its Renewal. Burns earned a bachelor’s from LaSalle University, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.

He is the recipient of numerous U.S. government awards, foreign decorations, and honorary degrees. He was one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024, and on TIME’s list of Forty Most Promising Global Leaders Under Forty in 1994. He is married to Ambassador Lisa Carty, and is the proud father of two grown daughters.

Questions? Contact development@spymuseum.org

The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.