Sir Richard Dearlove is Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge University. He served as the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, more commonly known as MI6 until 2005. He was appointed Chief (known as ‘C') of SIS in August 1999 and stepped down after his five-year term of duty. He joined SIS in 1966, having graduated from Queens' College Cambridge. Postings have included Nairobi, Prague, Paris, Geneva and Washington. In 1993, he became Director of Personnel and Administration. He became Director of Operations in 1994 and Assistant Chief of SIS in 1998. He succeeded Sir David Spedding as ‘C' in September 1999. He was awarded the OBE in 1984.