MI6 Appoints Blaise Metreweli First Female Chief

Blaise Metreweli has been appointed as the first female chief of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, marking a historic moment in the agency's 116-year history. Currently serving as director general of technology and innovation, Metreweli will succeed Sir Richard Moore and assume the codename 'C,' becoming the only publicly named member of MI6. The appointment was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who highlighted the critical importance of intelligence services amid escalating global threats, including cyber attacks and hostile espionage activities. Metreweli, a Cambridge anthropology graduate, has extensive experience across MI6 and MI5, with a career spanning operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, and has been recognized with a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for her contributions to British foreign policy. Her leadership is anticipated to enhance MI6's capabilities in technology and innovation, including leveraging artificial intelligence and addressing challenges such as biometric surveillance by adversaries. The appointment also reflects progress toward gender representation in British intelligence, paralleling earlier milestones at MI5 and GCHQ.