Lora Shiao

Lora Shiao is an American government official, currently serving as the chief operating officer^[1] for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since October 2020. She previously served as acting director of national intelligence^[2] from January 25, 2025, to February 12, 2025, and had also held this position briefly from January 20–21, 2021.^[3][4]

Lora Shiao
Official portrait, 2019
Chief Operating Officer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Incumbent
Assumed office October 2020
President	Donald Trump Joe Biden Donald Trump
Preceded by	Deirdre Walsh
Director of National Intelligence
Acting January 25, 2025 – February 12, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Stacey Dixon (acting)
Succeeded by	Tulsi Gabbard
Acting January 20, 2021 – January 21, 2021
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	John Ratcliffe
Succeeded by	Avril Haines
Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center
In office April 3, 2020 – August 10, 2020
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Russell Travers (acting)
Succeeded by	Christopher C. Miller

Career

Shiao served as an intelligence briefer to the United States attorney general and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2005 to 2007.^[5]

She was appointed to the senior national intelligence service within the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in May 2014. She was Deputy Director for Terrorist Identities during 2015–2016, where supported whole-of-government action in the identities intelligence mission space. As Deputy Director for Intelligence during 2016–2019, she led the NCTC's all-source analysis of the capabilities and intentions of terrorist actors worldwide to inform national policymakers and support the efforts of the intelligence community, military, law enforcement, and homeland security partners.^[1]

Shiao was NCTC's Executive Director from March 2019 to April 2020, a role in which she managed the center's financial and personnel operations and helped drive information technology innovation. Shiao then served as Deputy Director of the NCTC from April to October 2020.^[1] During this time, Shiao was Acting Director of the NCTC from April 3 to August 10, 2020, when she was replaced by Christopher C. Miller.^[1][6][7]

Shiao was named Chief Operating Officer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in October 2020. In this capacity, Shiao was responsible for the strategic management of the ODNI, including corporate governance, financial operations, information management, information technology, security and counterintelligence, continuity of operations, facilities and logistics, and talent management.^[1]