Jump to content

Blaise Metreweli

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blaise Metreweli
CMG
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service
Designate
Assuming office
1 October 2025
Prime MinisterSir Keir Starmer
SucceedingSir Richard Moore
Personal details
Born
Blaise Florence Metreweli

(1977-07-30)30 July 1977
EducationPembroke College, Cambridge

Blaise Florence Metreweli CMG (born (1977-07-30)30 July 1977[a]) is a British civil servant and director general of technology and innovation in MI6. She is scheduled to take over as Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service ("C") on 1 October 2025, following the retirement of Sir Richard Moore from the Service. Upon assuming office she will be the first woman chief of MI6.

Early life and education

[edit]

Blaise Florence Metreweli[2] was born on (1977-07-30)30 July 1977.[2][a] She was raised for part of her childhood in Hong Kong, where her father, Constantine Metreweli, a physician and radiologist, was chair of Diagnostic Radiology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for some time; he trained in the British Army, and did a medical residency in Riyadh from 1982 to 1985.[1] Metreweli has an older brother.[3] Their surname is of Georgian origin.[4][verification needed]

Metreweli studied anthropology at the Cambridge,[5] graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Pembroke College on 26 June 1998.[6][1] She was a member of the 1997 Cambridge University Women's Boat Club crew that won that year's Women's Boat Race.[7]

Career

[edit]

Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999,[1] and worked continuously as an intelligence officer,[8] including director-level roles at MI5.[9][10] Metreweli's roles in intelligence included senior roles in the Middle East focused on counterterrorism, and have required that she address state threats against a background of complex geopolitical issues, including China's biometric surveillance and cyberattacks by Russia.[1] From 2000 until 2003 Metreweli was Second Secretary for Economic in Dubai, for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[2]

As of December 2021 she was on secondment as Head of Hostile States Counterintelligence ("Director K") to MI5.[11][12] As of June 2025, Metreweli was Director General of Technology and Innovation ("Q") at MI6,[12][10][9][1] At that time, and for the first time, three of the four MI6 directors-general were women.[13][citation needed][better source needed]

In June 2025, Metreweli was announced as the next chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), following Sir Richard Moore when he retires in autumn 2025.[14][5] She will take office in September or October of 2025.[12][15] She is the first female head of MI6,[8] who is known as "C". As chief of MI6, she will become the only publicly named member of the service.[8] Robert Mendick, writing for the The Telegraph, described Metreweli as having the qualities and experience of several roles from the James Bond series.[12]

Recognition

[edit]

Metreweli was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael & St. George (CMG) in the King's Birthday Honours for 2024, where she was listed as "Director General, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office" with a citation of "For services to British Foreign Policy".[16][17]

Personal life

[edit]

Metreweli stated in a 2021 Telegraph interview that her children had discovered the true nature of her work through their own investigations.[11][12]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Also reported as 1978.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f David, Rohit (16 June 2025). "Quick Facts About Blaise Metreweli: Age, Career, Family, and Appointment as MI6 First Female Chief". International Business Times. Retrieved 16 June 2025. Raised in Hong Kong, her father, Constantine Metreweli, was a distinguished radiologist and former chair of Diagnostic Radiology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with training in the British Army and residency in Riyadh from 1982 to 1985.
  2. ^ a b c Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2006). "Metreweli; Blaise Florence". Part IV: Biographical List. The Diplomatic Service List. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-11-591784-4. ISSN 0419-1714. FCO since March 2003; Born [1977-07-30]; FCO 1999; Second Secretary (Economic) Dubai 2000; Band C4.
  3. ^ Eyres, Lebby (16 June 2025). "I Rowed Against 'C'—It's No Surprise She's the New M16 Chief". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ Warrell, Helen; Sheppard, David (15 June 2025). "Britain's MI6 Spy Agency Promotes 'Q' to be First Female Head". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ^ a b Plunkett, Suzanne (15 June 2025). "Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency". Reuters. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ CUR Staff (8 July 1998). "Congregations of the Regent House on 26 and 27 June 1998". Cambridge University Reporter (CUR). CXXVIII (32/5774). Retrieved 17 June 2025. For the title page of this issue, providing the indicated title under the Acta, see this link.[non-primary source needed]
  7. ^ Kingsbury, Jane; Williams, Carol. "Crews of the 1990s". Cambridge University Women's Boat Club. Retrieved 16 June 2025. Year 1996-7 / President: Sarah Winckless (Fitzwilliam) / Date of races: 23rd March at Henley / Result: Cambridge by 1 ¼ lengths in 6 mins 26 secs / Crew: Blue Boat / Bow: Emily Grabham (LMBC) ... 5: Blaise Metreweli (Pembroke) ...
  8. ^ a b c Haynes, Deborah. "Career spy Blaise Metreweli to become first woman to head MI6". Sky News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  9. ^ a b Mitchell, Archie (15 June 2025). "Blaise Metreweli Appointed as First Female Head of MI6". The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b Prime Minister's Office; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Starmer, Keir (15 June 2025). "First Ever Female MI6 Chief Appointed". Gov.uk (Press release). Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  11. ^ a b Mendick, Robert (3 December 2021). "Exclusive: Meet 'Director K', the MI5 Spy Responsible for Keeping Britain Safe From China and Russia". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 16 June 2025. Director K's real name cannot be disclosed in public. The Telegraph does not know who she really is. Only her boss, Ken McCallum, MI5's director-general, is in the public domain. ... Director K also admitted her children had discovered her real job after espionage work of their own. … 'Normally you would not tell children early because it is quite a big secret to hold...'.
  12. ^ a b c d e Mendick, Robert (16 June 2025). "The New MI6 Chief is No Diversity Hire". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2025. Blaise Metreweli to become the new—and first female—head of MI6. I interviewed her for The Telegraph back in December 2021 when she was on a secondment to MI5, heading up the department that counters the threat posed to the UK by hostile states. … When I interviewed Ms Metreweli, she had the title Director K—or DK for those in the know—on a briefish loan to MI5. … Ms Metreweli had already spent two decades in MI6, working in operational roles in Europe and crucially the Middle East. … Ms Metreweli will take up her new post as C in September … she currently holds the title of Q, short for quartermaster, in charge of developing MI6's technical capabilities … It is worth noting that under her watch, the BBC was given unique access to Hanslope Park in Buckinghamshire, where MI6's science laboratories are based. … Ms Metreweli is the smart choice for MI6's new chief: dynamic, shrewd and media savvy. She's 007, M and Q all rolled up into one.
  13. ^ Warrell, Helen (8 December 2022). "British Secret Intelligence Service: The Secret Lives of MI6's Top Female Spies". FT Magazine. Retrieved 16 June 2025. … one of four directors-general at SIS, each of whom reports to the chief, known as "C". For the first time, three of them are women. … most storied MI6 job of all belongs to Ada, who is the head of technology, known as "Q" after James Bond's mastermind gadgeteer.
  14. ^ Mason, Chris; Gardner, Frank; Preston, Rich (15 June 2025). "Blaise Metreweli appointed as MI6's first female chief". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  15. ^ Moore, Richard [@ChiefMI6] (16 June 2025). "[No title.]" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 June 2025 – via Twitter. I am delighted to announce that Blaise Metreweli will succeed me as Chief of #MI6 on 1 October 2025. Blaise has had a distinguished career as an intelligence officer and leader. She possesses all the qualities to be an outstanding 'C' …
  16. ^ "Order of Saint Michael and Saint George: Blaise METREWELI". The Gazette. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  17. ^ Dunton, Jim; Markson, Tevye (17 June 2024). "Perm secs recognised in King's Birthday Honours". Civil Service World. Retrieved 16 June 2025. Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George … Blaise Metreweli, director general, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. For services to British foreign policy.

Further reading

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blaise_Metreweli&oldid=1296126787"