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42m ago

MI6 Names Blaise Metreweli Its First Female Chief

Her tenure heading the service’s technology division signals a drive to enhance digital capabilities in the face of growing external threats.

Metreweli, 47, is a Cambridge University anthropology graduate who was in the winning crew against Oxford in the 1997 Boat Race (Photo: UK Government/AFP/Getty)
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Overview

  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Metreweli’s nomination on June 15, 2025, and she will assume command in the autumn, succeeding Sir Richard Moore.
  • Metreweli has been with MI6 since 1999 and brings extensive operational experience from postings across the Middle East and Europe.
  • As Director General ‘Q’ for technology and innovation, she has led initiatives to bolster cyber defenses against sophisticated hackers and hostile states.
  • Her appointment brings MI6 in line with MI5 and GCHQ, which first appointed women as their chiefs in 1992 and 2023 respectively.
  • Metreweli studied anthropology at Cambridge and was named a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for her services to British foreign policy.