London: Blaise Metreweli has been appointed the new Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), becoming the first woman to lead the UK’s foreign spy agency since its inception in 1909.
The 47-year-old veteran intelligence officer, who currently heads MI6’s technology division and is known internally as “Q,” will take over the role from the outgoing chief Richard Moore, who is stepping down after a five-year tenure.
“I am proud and honored to be asked to lead my service,” Metreweli said in a statement. As MI6 Chief, she will assume the codename “C,” a tradition for the agency’s head, and one of the most powerful positions in Western intelligence.
Metreweli’s elevation to the top role marks a significant milestone not just for MI6 but for British intelligence as a whole.
All three major UK spy agencies, MI5 (domestic security), GCHQ (communications intelligence), and MI6 have now had women at the helm.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking from the G7 summit in Canada, praised Metreweli’s leadership credentials during a time of intensifying global threats. “Blaise’s appointment comes at a time when Britain is facing threats on an unprecedented scale,” Starmer said.
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
Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999 and has built a distinguished career with extensive experience in operational roles across the Middle East and Europe. Before becoming head of MI6 technology, she also held a senior post at MI5, the domestic intelligence agency.
She studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, a background that experts suggest may contribute to her nuanced approach to intelligence and international relations.
Her appointment comes amid intensifying tensions with Russia, China, and Iran nations which British intelligence agencies have publicly identified as primary threats.
MI6 has accused Russia of conducting sabotage operations across Europe to deter support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, MI5 disclosed that Iran has been responsible for at least 20 plots targeting dissidents and opponents within the UK since 2022.
MI5 has had two female chiefs, Stella Rimington in 1992 and Eliza Manningham-Buller from 2002 to 2007. GCHQ appointed its first female director in 2023, completing a new chapter in Britain’s intelligence history where gender no longer limits access to the top.
