Maria Langan Riekhof

LEARN MORE

• Download Headshot

• View Short Bios

  Maria Langan Riekhof

  Distinguished Visiting Fellow

  Short Bio

  Maria Langan Riekhof is a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where her research focuses on ways to identify and prepare for potential strategic surprises. She spent thirty-four years in the US Intelligence Community in senior leadership roles at the CIA and  DNI. She was the primary architect of the last global trends report.

  Copy Bio

  Mid-Length Bio

  Maria Langan Riekhof is a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where her research focuses on ways to identify and prepare for potential strategic surprises. She spent thirty-four years in the US Intelligence Community in senior leadership roles at the CIA and DNI, where she shaped assessments on crises, geopolitical risks, and long-term global trends.

  As vice chair of the National Intelligence Council (2023–25), Riekhof spearheaded a comprehensive program of global, strategic research and assessments, weaving together regional dynamics and transnational trends to identify key themes as well as critical risks and opportunities.

  Previously, Riekhof led the NIC’s Strategic Futures Group (2019–23), covering the intersection of transnational issues and regional dynamics. In this role, she was the principal architect and producer of the last quadrennial global trends report, Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World. She also led the US Intelligence Community’s premier global contrarian unit—the Red Cell—charged with provoking thought, exploring alternative hypotheses, and challenging long-held assumptions across the full range of national security issues.

  Earlier in her career, Riekhof spent eighteen years as an analyst and manager on the Middle East, producing the full scope of tactical- and strategic-level analysis. In these roles, she launched new programs to improve analytic tradecraft and to challenge conventional wisdom.

  Riekhof holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Denver.

  Copy Bio

  To view, the complete bio visit https://www.hoover.org/profiles/maria-langan-riekhof.