Image from September 2023 with Stella Rimington, former general director of Mi5. Credit: Stefan Rousseau / Pa Images / Profimedia
Stella Rimington, the first woman to serve as general manager of the British Security and Counterintellion ME5 service, has died at the age of 90, reports Reuters.
Rimington, who led the institution between 1992 and 1996, inaugurated an increased era of transparency within the Agency, being the first director whose name was publicly disclosed when installing. Later, he wrote a memoir book, “Open Secret”, about his career in the institution.
The former head of MI5 continued writing a series of spy novels and is also believed to have inspired actress Judy Dench in interpreting the master fictitious spy from several James Bond films.
“She died surrounded by her loved family and dogs and has resolutely hanging on the life she loved until the last breath,” writes in the statement issued by her family, quoted by the local press.
Rimington received one of the highest distinctions of the British state in 1996, when he received the title of “Dame”.
She entered MI5 in 1969 and worked on the area of counter -version and counter-terrorism. With her in leadership, the science played a more important role in the fight against the UK against the Irish Republican militants, according to the profile on the MI5 website.
“Being the first woman declared head of any information agency in the world, Dame Stella has exceeded long barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership,” said the current general manager of Mi5, Ken McCallum, in a statement.
A more transparent approach in the MI5 activity
Stella Rimington hired the institution in a more transparent approach to its activity, alleviating its cold war image.
“We are, of course, forced to keep the secret information to be efficient, this does not mean that we should be a completely secret organization,” she said in a publicly broadcast conference in 1994. “The secret is not imposed for its sake. It is not an end in itself,” she said.
Preparing his subsequent literary career, Rimington has opened the same speech with an allusion to the tradition of British espionage and fascination for the security services they have inspired among the general public.
“It is an interesting thing and has led to the creation of many myths – and some sinister speculation – about our work. I must admit that I started tonight with some hesitation to do a little light,” said Rimington.
“I have a vague presentation that fiction could prove to be more fun than reality,” she said.
