London (TDI): In a historic development, the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has named Blaise Metreweli as its first female head in the agency’s 116-year existence. Metreweli is 47 years old and will be the 18th chief of the secret service, taking over from Sir Richard Moore, who will retire in the autumn after serving for five years.
On hearing of her appointment, Blaise Metreweli said she was “humbled and proud” to take up the role of head of MI6. Talking to BBC, she said: “MI6 has a critical mission — alongside MI5 and GCHQ — of safeguarding the British people and advancing UK interests abroad. I look forward to carrying on that work with the courageous officers and agents of MI6 and our numerous partners overseas.”
Metreweli began her MI6 career in 1999 and is now in charge of the agency’s forward-thinking Technology and Innovation branch, internally known as Director General “Q”. The division is tasked with protecting agent identities and developing advanced capabilities to counter the surveillance strengths of adversaries like China.
Her professional life has seen principal director-level roles in both MI5 and MI6, much of her operational work having been in the Middle East and Europe. She graduated in anthropology from the University of Cambridge and was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the King’s 2024 Overseas and International Birthday Honours List for her contribution to British foreign policy.
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Under the code-name “C”, a name since MI6’s first chief, Captain Mansfield Cumming, who signed his missives in green ink, Metreweli is the publicly named member of the group.
The departing head, Sir Richard Moore, as cited by the Financial Times, said he was “absolutely delighted” with the appointment. He described Metreweli as “a highly skilled intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in remarks released through government media channels, praised her as the “perfect candidate,” adding further, “She will put the UK well placed to react to international instability and emerging security threats.”
As Blaise Metreweli assumes the leadership of MI6 later this year, her appointment is not only a turning point in the agency’s history but also in the landscape of the history of international security.
In the face of heightened geopolitical threats and accelerated technological transformation, the new chief must navigate the challenge of guiding Britain’s foreign intelligence service through a more complicated and ambiguous world.
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