Karen H. Gibson

Lieutenant General Karen Gibson retired from the U.S. Army in 2020, culminating her 33-year active-duty military career in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for National Security Partnerships.

Gibson has a depth of experience in the intelligence and cyber fields directly supporting U.S. national security objectives in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa, and across the Middle East. As Director of Intelligence for U.S. Central Command from 2017-2019, she wielded National and Defense intelligence assets ranging from clandestine ground operatives to the exquisite technical collection from space to support national security objectives and military operations from Egypt to Pakistan and Yemen to Kazakhstan. In previous assignments, she served as Director of Intelligence for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria; as the Director for Intelligence Analysis at the NATO Headquarters in Afghanistan; and as Director of Intelligence at Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.

In addition to multiple overseas deployments, Gibson served 11 years in the cryptologic and cyber communities. Throughout her career, Gibson worked closely with allies and foreign partners from many continents to develop partnerships that protected national interests while supporting mutual goals. Since January 2021, she has been an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, where she teaches Strategy, Policy, and Military Operations.

Education
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
Master of Science, Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University
Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College

Countries of Expertise
Middle East, Levant, Horn of Africa, Central and South Asia

Issues of Expertise
Intelligence, military operations, national security, cybersecurity and cyberspace operations