Blaise Metreweli, currently MI6’s Director-General for Technology and Innovation (informally the real-world “Q”), is set to assume the role of Chief (“C”) of the Secret Intelligence Service on 1 October 2025, marking the first time in its 116-year history that a woman will lead Britain’s foreign intelligence agency.
Blaise Metreweli’s promotion as the first woman to head MI6 is a groundbreaking development in British intelligence. With her expertise in technology and innovation and a career rooted in global intelligence, her leadership heralds a new era for MI6—uniting tradition, modernization, and gender equity.
- Career & Background
- ?Joined MI6 in 1999, with early postings in the Middle East during key geopolitical events in the early 2000s.
- Cambridge-educated anthropologist from Pembroke College and former rower on the 1997 Blue Boat.
- Heads MI6’s tech and innovation division—often likened to James Bond’s “Q”—and brings deep expertise in intelligence technologies.
- A Breakthrough in Gender Equality
- Metreweli’s appointment is a significant cultural shift, ending MI6’s all-male leadership tradition and aligning it with MI5 and GCHQ, both of which have previously had female heads.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the decision “historic”, citing growing threats from China, Russia, and Iran.