Married to the CIA

As an expert on weapons of mass destruction, all things military, counterintelligence and espionage, recent Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the U.S. Department of Energy, and a 23-year Former CIA intelligence officer, Rolf Mowatt-Larsen joins us in partnership with World Affairs Council of Charleston to shed light on “life inside the bubble.”  In a special appearance, his wife Rosie, will join, along with the CLS and WACC member Jon Gundersen to discuss the role of the government, intelligence, counterterrorism, and the many gray areas of foreign policy – as well as what it’s really like being married to the CIA.

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, visit Buxton Books here!

This program is in partnership with The World Affairs Council. 

About Rolf Mowatt-Larssen

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen was the inaugural William J. Perry Distinguished Fellow at NTI, where he supported NTI’s work on global threat reduction. He has deep expertise on Russia and nuclear security. He focused his research efforts on the implications of the Ukraine crisis for the global nuclear order.

Mowatt-Larssen, a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs since 2009, served until July 2019 as Director of the Center’s Intelligence Project. Before his tenure at Harvard, he served for more than three years as the Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the U.S. Department of Energy. Previously, he spent 23 years as a CIA operations officer in various domestic and international posts, including Chief of the Europe Division in the Directorate of Operations, Chief of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Department, Counterterrorist Center, and Deputy Associate Director of Central Intelligence for Military Support. He also served in numerous overseas assignments in Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Prior to his career in intelligence, Mowatt-Larssen served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.

Mowatt-Larssen is a recipient of the CIA Director’s Award, the George W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism, the Secretary of Energy’s Exceptional Service Medal, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Secretary of Defense Civilian Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Superior Performance Medal, among others.

About Rosie Mowatt-Larssen

Roswitha (Rosie) Mowatt-Larssen grew up in Germany and moved to the United States in 1980, where she married her husband, Rolf. Rosie began working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a contract spouse in 1985, when the couple was posted on their first overseas assignment to Europe. Over the next sixteen years, she worked in a variety of roles for the CIA and State Department in five countries overseas, including Moscow, Russia. After the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks, Rosie was offered a position as a staff officer in CIA. She served in CIA Headquarters and abroad until her retirement in 2022. Rosie worked for CIA’s Chief Operating Officer for the nearly five years preceding her retirement. She decided retirement was not for her. First as contract spouse, then as a staff officer, she currently works as a Freedom of Information Act Review and Research Analyst. As a naturalized American citizen with three children and nine grandchildren, Rosie is proud to have the chance to tell the story of someone who has been privileged to have had a front row seat to history. She has written a memoir to share her experiences as a wife and officer in the CIA, entitled, “Story of a CIA Wife.” (2024).

About the World Affairs Council

The World Affairs Council of Charleston (WACC), formerly the Charleston Foreign Affairs Forum, was founded in the early 1980s as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. The Council works to deepen our community’s global perspective through speaker programs, discussion groups, and educational experiences. The membership represents a cross-section of individuals from the business community, academia, government service, and civic backgrounds. We welcome participants of all ages and from all backgrounds. The WACC is a 501(c)(3) organization and is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America, a network of 90+ independent, nonpartisan councils across 40 states.