LONDON (Realist English). For the first time since its founding in 1909, the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence service, MI6, will be led by a woman. Blaise Metreweli, a senior intelligence official with over two decades of experience, has been named the 18th chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and will assume the role later this year, succeeding Sir Richard Moore.
Currently serving as Director General for Technology and Innovation — known within the service as “Q” — Metreweli is widely respected as one of MI6’s most forward-thinking leaders. Her appointment was hailed as “historic” by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who emphasized that “the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital.”
“I am proud and honoured to be asked to lead MI6,” Metreweli said in a statement. “The service plays a critical role — alongside MI5 and GCHQ — in keeping the British people safe and protecting UK interests abroad. I look forward to continuing this work with our courageous officers and global partners.”
A graduate in anthropology from the University of Cambridge, Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999 and has held senior roles in both MI6 and MI5, the UK’s domestic security service. She spent much of her career focused on the Middle East and Europe. In 2024, she was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for her contributions to British foreign policy.
Metreweli came to broader public attention in 2021 when, under the pseudonym “Director K,” she gave an interview to The Telegraph, discussing national security challenges. She highlighted threats ranging from state-sponsored cyberattacks to assassination plots and emphasized the growing risks posed by both Russian state activity and China’s global ambitions.
A pivotal role amid a changing world
As the new “C” — the traditional code name for MI6’s chief, derived from the signature of the service’s first director, Captain Mansfield Cumming — Metreweli will take the helm during a period of intense geopolitical and technological disruption. She will report directly to the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and serve on the Joint Intelligence Committee, advising the Prime Minister.
MI6 is tasked with gathering intelligence overseas, recruiting agents to infiltrate hostile regimes and non-state actors, and protecting the UK from international threats, including terrorism, cyberattacks, and foreign interference. Under British law, agents can be authorised to carry out actions abroad that would otherwise be illegal — including, in exceptional circumstances, the use of lethal force.
Metreweli will face a landscape dominated by rising threats from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as the growing influence of non-state groups and technological rivals. As intelligence becomes increasingly digitized — with data collected from satellites, sensors, and cyberspace — the role of human espionage is being redefined.
Sir Richard Moore, who will step down this autumn after five years in the role, welcomed the announcement: “Blaise is an outstanding intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost minds on technology. I am absolutely delighted with her historic appointment.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Metreweli the “ideal” choice to lead MI6 into a new era of “global instability and emerging security threats.” He also thanked Sir Richard for his service, saying his work had “significantly enhanced the UK’s national security.”
Prime Minister Starmer echoed those sentiments: “I am confident Blaise will provide the exceptional leadership needed to keep our people safe and to defend the values and interests of our country.”