Blaise Metreweli named as first woman to lead UK intelligence service MI6 in 116 years

Dubai: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the appointment of Blaise Metreweli as the new head of MI6, making her the first woman to lead Britain's Secret Intelligence Service in its 116-year history.

Metreweli is currently the Director of General Technology and Innovation in MI6, having joined the Service as a case officer in 1999. Throughout her 26-year career, she has built extensive experience across multiple regions and operational roles, working primarily in the Middle East and Europe. Her expertise spans both MI6 and MI5, where she has held director-level positions, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of Britain's intelligence apparatus.

The 47-year-old intelligence officer studied anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge, bringing academic rigour to her intelligence work. Her background in technology and innovation positions her uniquely to address modern security challenges, including cyber threats and digital intelligence operations that have become increasingly critical in contemporary espionage.

Upon assuming leadership later this year, Metreweli will become the 18th person to lead the foreign intelligence service and will adopt the traditional code name "C," reserved for MI6's chief. This designation traces back to the agency's founding era, when the first head, Captain Sir Mansfield Cumming, signed documents with the letter "C." The tradition maintains operational security and anonymity, with the chief being the only publicly identified member of the organisation.

Metreweli will replace Sir Richard Moore, who will conclude his five-year tenure in autumn 2025. The transition comes during what officials describe as a period of heightened global security challenges, requiring strong leadership to navigate complex international threats.

The appointment comes three decades after actress Judi Dench first played a female boss of MI6 in the James Bond film "GoldenEye", illustrating how reality has finally caught up with fiction. This cultural parallel underscores the historic nature of the appointment and reflects broader changes in intelligence leadership in senior security roles.

The timing is particularly significant as Britain faces what Prime Minister Starmer describes as "increased threats" in an increasingly complex global security environment. Metreweli's technology background and extensive operational experience position her to address evolving challenges including state-sponsored cyber attacks, international terrorism, and hostile foreign intelligence activities.

The Secret Intelligence Service, established in 1909, operates as Britain's foreign intelligence agency, focusing on overseas intelligence gathering to protect national security and support foreign policy objectives. Unlike its domestic counterpart MI5, MI6 operates exclusively in international territories, reporting directly to the Foreign Secretary while maintaining strict operational secrecy essential to protecting national interests and agent safety.