Politics
Blaise Metreweli breaks MI6 glass ceiling to become Britain’s first female spy chief
For the first time in its storied 116-year history, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, is set to be led by a woman. Blaise Metreweli, a seasoned intelligence officer and technologist, has been appointed the 18th Chief of the organisation, marking a historic first in the agency’s elite, traditionally male-dominated leadership.
Metreweli, 47, who currently heads the agency’s critical technology and innovation division, will take over from outgoing chief Sir Richard Moore later this year. Her appointment signals not just a symbolic shift in MI6’s leadership structure, but also a substantive one — placing innovation, cyber-security, and digital intelligence at the heart of the UK’s modern espionage operations.
“This is a proud and historic moment, not just for me, but for the Service,” Metreweli said in a rare public statement. “I look forward to continuing the vital work of protecting our country, alongside the courageous men and women of MI6 and our many global partners.”
Educated in anthropology at the University of Cambridge, Metreweli is not your stereotypical secret agent. She is neither a product of the old boys’ Oxbridge network nor a career diplomat-turned-spy chief. Instead, she has risen through the ranks as a technocrat with a deep understanding of the evolving threats in a digitised world — from artificial intelligence warfare to biometric surveillance.
Since joining MI6 in 1999, she has held key positions, including director-level roles in MI5 – the UK’s domestic security agency – and has extensive operational experience in the Middle East and Europe. Most recently, as Director General “Q” – a post named after the fictional tech wizard from James Bond – Metreweli oversaw efforts to keep British agents anonymous in an era of facial recognition and online tracking.
Her division, insiders say, is central to MI6’s transformation as it adapts to modern-day threats, especially from hostile state actors like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The decision to appoint a technologist at a time of unprecedented global instability is not accidental. The world, as outgoing chief Sir Richard Moore recently noted, is “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.”
MI6’s traditional role – recruiting human agents to steal secrets – has become more complex in an age when intelligence gathering is increasingly digital. Space-based surveillance, cyber-espionage, and disinformation campaigns now dominate the field. The days of trench coats and dead drops are being replaced with data extraction, encryption, and real-time analytics.
“It’s not that human intelligence is obsolete,” one former intelligence analyst told this reporter. “But it must now work hand-in-hand with digital signals and technologies. That’s where Metreweli shines.”
Her background in countering biometric tracking, developing new encryption methods, and spearheading innovative surveillance disruption tools gives her the edge needed in this new era.
Metreweli steps into the top job at a critical time for British and global security. Tensions with Russia are high following Moscow’s intensified sabotage operations across Europe. MI6 has played a pivotal role, alongside the CIA and other allies, in tracking and disrupting these covert activities. The war in Ukraine remains a frontline of modern espionage, and British intelligence has been instrumental in supplying Kyiv with strategic information.
China, meanwhile, is emerging as the dominant long-term challenge. Both Sir Richard Moore and CIA Director William Burns described the rise of Beijing as “the geopolitical and intelligence challenge of the century.” Metreweli’s own public comments, made under the pseudonym “Director K” in a 2021 interview, reflect this view. “China is changing the way the world is,” she said then. “That presents amazing opportunities and threats for the UK.”
Her remarks also pointed to other complex threats: state-sponsored assassinations, technology theft, economic espionage, and subversive cyber campaigns – all of which require intelligence agencies to evolve rapidly.
As head of MI6, Metreweli will assume the title “C”, a tradition that dates back to the agency’s first director, Captain Mansfield Cumming. Cumming signed all his documents with a green-ink “C” – a practice continued by all successors. To this day, the Chief of MI6 is the only person in Whitehall who uses green ink in official correspondence.
Despite Hollywood portrayals, the real-life “C” does not grant agents a licence to kill. That authority, under the Intelligence Services Act of 1994, lies with the foreign secretary. Yet the Chief plays a central role in shaping operations, overseeing mission approvals, and advising the prime minister through the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who will now serve as Metreweli’s direct superior, praised her appointment. “She is the ideal candidate to take on this crucial responsibility at a time of global instability and emerging security threats,” he said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also hailed her selection as “historic,” adding, “The work of our intelligence services has never been more vital. I know Blaise will provide the leadership needed to defend our country and keep our people safe.”
Though she may now be the most public face of MI6 — at least nominally — Metreweli remains a deeply private figure. Her rare on-the-record remarks have focused on service, duty, and the evolving nature of intelligence work. In June 2024, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for her contributions to British foreign policy — one of the highest honours for those working behind the scenes in diplomacy and security.
“Leadership in intelligence isn’t about bravado,” said one Whitehall official. “It’s about foresight, courage, and judgment under pressure. Blaise has all three.”
As Britain’s first female spy chief prepares to take over the reins, she does so with both the weight of history and the tools of the future. Her appointment may shatter one of the last glass ceilings in British public service – but more importantly, it redefines what it means to lead in a world where information is power, and the battle for global influence plays out not only in war rooms, but in code, clouds, and cyberspace.