UK appoints first woman to head spy agency MI6: Meet real-life 'M' character; Who is Blaise Metreweli?

UK's foreign intelligence service MI6 to be led by its first woman intelligence officer, Blaise Metreweli.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday announced the appointment of Blaise Metreweli as the 18th head of MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).

She is set to assume the role in the autumn this year, succeeding Richard Moore, who has been holding this position for five years.Who is Blasie Metreweli?A Cambridge University alumna, Metreweli,49 has had a distinguished career in intelligence services since 1999, when she first joined SIS. Metrerweli currently heads MI6's technology and innovation efforts, a role that mirrors the fictional 'M' character from the James Bond franchise, famously portrayed by Judi Dench. She has previously held senior positions in both MI6 and MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence service. Her work has focused on assignments in the Middle East and Europe, according to the official statement.Blaise Metreweli expresses her gratitude regarding her appointment as the head of MI6. "It is both a privilege and an honor to be chosen to lead my Service."While MI5 first appointed a female chief more than three decades ago — Stella Rimington in 1992, MI6 had not had a woman at its head until now.

GCHQ, another arm of the UK’s intelligence services, named its first female director, Anne Keast-Butler, in 2023.Why UK decided to change MI6 leadership now?“The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital,” Starmer said in a statement released by Downing Street. “The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale — be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services.”