United Kingdom: Blaise Metreweli has been named the first woman to head the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in its 116-year history. She will succeed Sir Richard Moore later this year, becoming the 18th Chief traditionally referred to as ‘C’.
Metreweli, 47, joined MI6 in 1999 and currently serves as Director General ‘Q’, overseeing the agency’s critical technology and innovation operations. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as the intelligence community faces growing threats from hostile states, cyber challenges, and geopolitical instability.
I am delighted to announce that Blaise Metreweli will succeed me as Chief of #MI6 on 1 October 2025. Blaise has had a distinguished career as an intelligence officer and leader. She possesses all the qualities to be an outstanding ‘C’. Read more here 🔽https://t.co/w2HJ8cj1xs
— Richard Moore (@ChiefMI6) June 15, 2025
Speaking after her appointment, Metreweli said she was ‘proud and honoured’ to be entrusted with the role. Metreweli stated that, “MI6 plays a vital role alongside MI5 and GCHQ in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas. I look forward to continuing that work with our brave officers, agents and international partners.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the appointment ‘historic’, praising Metreweli’s leadership at a time when ‘the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital’. Foreign Secretary David Lammy also described her as the ‘ideal candidate’ to steer the agency through complex global threats.
Metreweli brings a wealth of experience from her time working across the Middle East and Europe, and has held senior positions in MI5. She was honoured with the Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) in 2024 for her contributions to British foreign policy.
Outgoing chief Sir Richard Moore, who has served since 2020, praised Metreweli as ‘a highly accomplished intelligence officer and one of our foremost thinkers on technology.’
As ‘C’, Metreweli will report directly to the Foreign Secretary and play a central role on the Joint Intelligence Committee, shaping national security strategy. Though ‘C’ does not officially stand for ‘Chief’, the tradition dates back to the service’s founder, Captain Mansfield Cumming, whose signature style lives on in the title and in the green ink still used by the post.
MI6 continues to operate under immense pressure facing coordinated threats from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea while adapting to the realities of a digital battlefield where intelligence increasingly takes place in cyberspace and outer space.
Under the Intelligence Services Act 1994, MI6 agents can be authorised for actions that would otherwise be illegal, though the decision rests with the foreign secretary and undergoes extensive legal scrutiny.
Metreweli’s tenure will shape how Britain’s foreign intelligence adapts to modern threats and technological evolution. Her leadership is seen as a transformative step for MI6 and a strong signal of progress within the UK’s national security landscape.
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