William F. Spalding of CIA

Topic: The Cyber Landscape

Description: The growing expanse of the digital domain has brought with it a new series of challenges and threats to the global stage; and CIA continues to respond, adapt, and evolve across the immerse cyber landscape that is shaping our world.

Biography:

William F. Spalding

Associate Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation

SIS-4

William F. Spalding is Associate Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation, a role he assumed in August 2021. Established in 2015, the Directorate of Digital Innovation (DDI) accelerates the development and integration of digital and cyber capabilities across all of CIA’s mission areas. As Associate Deputy Director, Bill helps to lead DDI’s enterprise operations, policies, and personnel. 

Prior his current position, Mr. Spalding was Director of Digital Futures, Director of the Mission Engagement Staff, DDI Chief of Staff, and DDI Chief in the Western Hemisphere Mission Center.  He led the design and implementation of the stand-up of the DDI as part of the Agency Modernization effort – the first new CIA directorate in over 50 years.  His earlier assignments were focused on creating and managing global infrastructures, mission applications, collection systems, and supporting arms control agreements.  Mr. Spalding led the information technology design and implementation for the stand-up of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, which later became the National Counterterrorism Center under the Director of National Intelligence.  He is a recipient of the Donald R. Cryer Award for Diversity and Inclusion at CIA.

Mr. Spalding began his Agency career in 1986 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin where he was also a cooperative engineering student at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.  He earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University in 1991. 

Mr. Spalding lives in Oakton, Virginia with his wife and his daughter is attending William & Mary.  His pastime is cooking and his family tolerates his culinary experiments, especially smoking brisket and other meats.