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Who's Blaise Metreweli, 1st female MI6 chief in 116 years
16 Jun 2025

Blaise Metreweli has been appointed the new head of Britain's foreign intelligence service, MI6, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday.

This historic appointment makes Metreweli the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year history.

Currently serving as the Director General "Q," she will succeed Sir Richard Moore later this year.

The move comes as MI6 faces unprecedented challenges from state actors such as China and Russia.

Metreweli has been in MI6 since 1999
Career highlights

Metreweli, 47, joined the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1999 and has held various operational roles across Europe and the Middle East.

She currently heads MI6's technology and innovation division, which works to protect the identities of agents.

The MI6 chief is known as "C"—a codename that dates back to Captain Mansfield Cumming, the first head of Britain's spy agency.

Appointment reflects MI6's efforts toward diversification
Diversity

Metreweli's appointment is a significant milestone in MI6's diversification efforts.

The agency has been working to broaden its recruitment process, moving away from traditional elite university channels.

The MI6 head had apologized on behalf of MI6 in 2021 for how it treated LGBT workers and aspiring agents who were sacked or denied jobs because of their sexual orientation.

In a 2023 speech, he said MI6 should "better represent the country we serve."

Metreweli on threats to UK's national security
Security insights

Metreweli, who studied anthropology at University of Cambridge, previously held director-level positions in MI5, MI6's sister domestic security agency, and has spent most of her career in the Middle East and Europe.

In a December 2021 interview with The Telegraph, Metreweli highlighted the diverse threats to the United Kingdom's national security.

She specifically mentioned Russian state activity as a persistent threat and noted that China is "changing the way the world is, and that presents...opportunities and threats for the UK."

Moore has warned about rising global threats
Agency hurdles

MI6 faces multiple challenges, both geographic and technical.

Geographically, threats primarily come from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.

Technically, MI6 must recruit human agents to steal secrets in an age of rapid digital innovation.

Outgoing chief Sir Moore has previously warned that the international world is "under threat in a way we haven't seen since the Cold War."

Outgoing chief Moore calls Metreweli an accomplished leader
Leadership transition

Sir Moore, who has been MI6's chief for five years, will retire in the autumn of this year.

He expressed his delight at Metreweli's "historic appointment," calling her a "highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader."

During his tenure, MI6 was involved in a number of international crises.

The agency issued a series of public and private warnings regarding Vladimir Putin's desire to attack Ukraine in the run-up to the invasion in February 2022.

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