Blaise Metreweli will become the first-ever female chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
The Chief, also known by the codename C, is the only publicly named member of the organisation. Metreweli was appointed as the 18th chief of the organisation and appointed by United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital,” he said.
“The [U.K] is facing threats on an unprecedented scale – be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services.”
As part of her role, Metreweli will have operational responsibility for the MI6 and be accountable to the Foreign Secretary.
Metreweli says she was proud and honoured to be appointed to the role.
“MI6 plays a vital role - [along] with MI5 and GCHQ - in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.”
The appointment mirrors on-screen depictions of the agency in James Bond where Judi Dench played the I16 chief for many years.
Metreweli is a career officer who joined the service in 1999 and has held director-level positions in both the MI6 and the domestic MI5 spy agency.
She is currently in charge of technology and innovation as Director General Q and will succeed former chief Richard Moore who leaves the service later this year.
“I am absolutely delighted by this historic appointment of my colleague, Blaise Metreweli to succeed me as ‘C’,” Moore said.
“Blaise is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology. I am excited to welcome her as the first female head of MI6.”
The MI6 is the final British intelligence agency to appoint a woman as leader.
Prior to this, Stella Remington led MI5 from 1992 to 1996 and Elizabeth Manningham-Buller ran the agency between 2002 and 2007. In 2023 Anne Keast-Butler was the first woman to head the electronic and cyber-intelligence agency GCHQ.
