From the Secret Service to Snap

Secret Service Director James Murray is retiring from his post – to take on a role at Snapchat’s parent company.

Snappy chappy

What’s your ideal retirement plan? Fishing trips with a cooler full of beer; a beach house to entertain the grandkids; or maybe taking up tennis? Whatever your far-off future holds, it’s probably a little different to that of James ‘Jim’ Murray, Secret Service Director. He’s throwing in the towel after a nearly three-decade career at the agency he’s been leading for the past three years. And what’s next? A role at Snap.

So, no tennis for Jim. Instead, his new role with the tech and comms company will help protect the safety and security of Snap employees, and he’ll also be working with law enforcement when necessary.

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It’s no mean feat to wave goodbye to your 27-year career, and Murray’s statement was an emotional one. “Joining the Secret Service was the easiest decision I have ever made,” he said in a letter to agency employees. “Deciding it is time to move on, however, has been one of the most difficult.” Who’s cutting onions?

Brought in by Trump, Murray’s departure has sparked farewells from the very top, with President Biden and his wife, Jill, writing in a joint statement that he “embodies the meaning of service over self”.

In his final few months, Murray has been leading a Secret Service that has come under great scrutiny, with the controversies over Trump’s role in the US Capitol riots taking center stage. So, though Snap isn’t immune to controversy, who can blame Murray for finally calling it a day with the Service and putting his feet up a little. Maybe he’ll buy a tennis racket with his final pay check?