Who is Blaise Metreweli? How she broke the MI6’s legacy of 116-year male stronghold on the top position

The 47-year-old Blaise Metreweli has been appointed as the first-ever female chief of the British intelligence agency MI6, marking it as a historic event in the United Kingdom as well as global stage… read to know more about

I loved the James Bond era where a woman led a spy agency, and James Bond, an arrogant and one of the most intelligent movie characters, never overruled her decisions.

I admired how Judi Dench as M embodied strength and authority, commanding respect even from someone as James Bond.

She portrayed a strong woman, even a man like Bond can’t disobey. Judi Dench masterfully played the role of a head of MI6, the spy agency. And introduced the concept of a woman in a role of such authority.

Although the character was fictional, what’s most fascinating is that, back then, few could have imagined this would one day become reality: that a prestigious and high-stakes organization like MI6 would actually appoint a woman as its chief.

The appointment?

With a historical decision, on 15 June 2025, Britain appointed Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, as the first woman to lead the Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6.

The announcement had been made by the agency’s official website, stating, “The first ever female Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has been announced by the Prime Minister today.”

Who is Blaise Metreweli? 

The 47-year-old, Metreweli, joined the agency in 1999 and currently serves as Director General ‘Q’, responsible for technology and innovation in MI6. She has also shouldered the responsibilities of the director-level role in MI5. Metreweli will become its 18th chief in autumn, after taking it over from Sir Richard Moore, the current chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

Metreweli is currently serving as the MI6’s Q section’s director general. According to the media, she studied social anthropology at Cambridge University and spent a major part of her career in operational roles, in the Middle East and Europe. 

What is MI6?

MI6, officially known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), is the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence agency. The agency’s primary role is to protect British national security and interests by providing, gathered information through various sources, like RAW (India) and NIA (India). MI6’s headquarter is in London.

What would be her role and responsibilities?

As the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital.” It signals that the journey ahead will be entirely unprecedented.

As the head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli will be responsible for leading the UK’s foreign intelligence operations in the time of dynamic and constantly changing global threats. She is going to handle complex challenges such as cyber warfare, state-sponsored espionage, international terrorism, and the growing influence of disinformation campaigns that threaten national and global stability.

She will be responsible for integrating advanced technologies and data capabilities to improve intelligence gathering and analysis. And build MI6 stronger and responsible by strengthening the organisation’s core parts.