Karen Ackley - A Life of Leadership, Service, and Extraordinary Purpose

Karen Ackley spent more than 30 years inside the Central Intelligence Agency, rising into the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service — the highest leadership level in the Agency. She served as Deputy Chief of Station in Europe and the Middle East, Deputy Chief of Operations in the Counterterrorist Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of the CIA. She later spent 28 months in Baghdad as the senior intelligence advisor to a four-star general, helping protect U.S. and allied forces.

In this episode, Karen shares:

• How she was recruited into the CIA in college

• What it’s really like inside an Agency most people only see in movies

• Her experience working in a war zone

• The decisions and tradeoffs women make when careers become all-consuming

Her story is bold, surprising, and deeply human.