Manningham-Buller became the director in charge of surveillance and technical operations. She was appointed Deputy Director General in 1997, and succeeded Sir Stephen Lander as Director General in 2002. She was the second woman to take on the role after Dame Stella Rimington. As Director General, she was paid £150,000 a year. She established a website and recruited agents through newspaper advertisements. Under her direction, terror risk assessments were made public for the first time.