Gina Haspel to Become First Woman to Lead CIA On Tuesday, reports confirmed Haspel was appointed by President Trump following a shakeup in his cabinet. Haspel will replace Mike Pompeo, who has now been named the new secretary of state after Rex Tillerson. Haspel ran a CIA prison in Thailand, where harsh interrogation tactics – like waterboarding – were used on terror suspects. Her appointment was denounced by the American Civil Liberties Union due to concerns about her alleged involvement in the interrogation techniques. She joined the agency in 1985 and previously served as deputy CIA director.