MI6 will be led by a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence service's 116-year history.
on 17 June 2025, The British government on Sunday appointed Blaise Metreweli as the country’s first woman to serve as chief of the UK’s foreign spy service MI6.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the appointment "historic" at a time "when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital".
Metreweli, 47, is a career intelligence officer. Until her appointment as head of MI6, she was the director general of technology and innovation at MI6, also known as “Q”.
She joined MI6 as a case officer in 1999, and has held a range of roles since then. She has worked in Europe and the Middle East for the agency, and speaks Arabic, according to United Kingdom media.
