WASHINGTON, Jan 12: A much respected man of foreign service background, William J. Burns, 64, is President-elect Joe Biden's new CIA chief. Burns will succeed Gina Haspel, the first woman CIA Director.

Burns and Biden are both known to each other as Biden had worked with Burns on foreign policy matters during Obama time.

Burns has worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations as diplomat, proving his nonpartisanship.

Burns has sound experience in foreign affairs.

Burns, however, has never been part of the job of intelligence collection.

Burns has had work relationship with Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Biden said in a statement on Monday that the American people will be able to "sleep soundly with him as our next CIA director." He said, Burns “shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect...Ambassador Burns will bring the knowledge, judgement and the perspective we need to prevent and confront threats before they can reach our shores."

Burns was also ambassador to Russia. He led the delegation to the nuclear talks with Iran in 2013. After retiring in 2014, he was with the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace.

He is on record speaking about the "aggressive meddling" of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the US presidential election of 2016, which Trump won. He had predicted about Trump's reaction to 2020 results if he lost.

He has authored 'The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal.'

Although the CIA is autonomous, it comes under the Director of National Intelligence.