Blaise Metreweli Named First Female Head of MI6
Blaise Metreweli will make history this October as the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year existence. Currently serving as the agency’s head of technology in the famed “Q” role as it is known in the James Bond universe, Metreweli brings over two decades of experience, with much of it spent in the Middle East and Europe.
Replacing Sir Richard Moore, who called her one of the agency’s “foremost thinkers on technology,” Metreweli steps into the role of “C” as MI6 faces rising challenges from nations like Russia, China, and Iran. With her blend of operational grit and technical expertise, she’ll be steering the agency through what intelligence veterans are calling the most dangerous geopolitical landscape since the Cold War.
At 47, Metreweli has built a reputation as a sharp-minded “geek” with deep roots in both fieldwork and tech innovation. She’s worked in war zones, led MI5’s directorate on hostile state threats, and received a CMG honour for her services to foreign policy. In her words, she’s “proud and honoured” to lead the service and continue working with “the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.” Her appointment, described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as “historic,” comes at a time when the UK is facing “threats on an unprecedented scale.”
