The director-general is assisted by two deputy directors-general, although only one of the former deputies, David Fricker, has been publicly identified.[citation needed] David Fricker left ASIO in 2011.[1] The director-general is subject to the directions of the attorney-general, although convention allows the director-general direct access to the prime minister. The director-general of security is often regarded as Australia's 'top spy', even though they may not have been previously engaged in intelligence upon appointment.[2] The incumbent director-general is Mike Burgess, appointed on 16 September 2019.