MI6 announces first female director
(MENAFN) The UK has appointed Blaise Metreweli as the first woman to lead its Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, since its founding in 1909. Metreweli, 47, will take over in October, succeeding Richard Moore, who has headed the agency since 2020.
Metreweli started her career at MI6 in 1999 and has held key roles in the Middle East and Europe. Currently serving as the agency’s Director of Technology and Innovation — a role internally called “Q”— she is set to become MI6’s chief, taking on the traditional title of “C.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described her appointment as a decisive move at a time when the UK faces “unprecedented” security risks. Metreweli holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Cambridge and previously held a leadership role at MI5, the UK’s internal security service. Her promotion brings MI6 in line with its sister agencies, MI5 and GCHQ, which have previously appointed women to lead their organizations.
The change in leadership comes amid growing international tensions, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and disputes in the Middle East. The UK has accused Russia of organizing sabotage operations across Europe — a claim Moscow denies — and it considers Iran and China to be growing security threats.
In a 2021 interview with The Telegraph, while serving at MI5 under the pseudonym “Director K,” Metreweli described the greatest future risks to the UK as “diverse”— noting that Russian activity remained a danger and that the rise of China presented both opportunities and complications.
Russian officials have frequently alleged that British intelligence assists Ukraine’s operations against Moscow, training reconnaissance teams for sabotage missions — an accusation London rejects. The UK has remained a strong supporter of Ukraine, although the US under President Donald Trump has called for dialogue with Moscow in a bid to resolve the conflict.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
