Blaise Metreweli isn’t a household name – which means she’s done her job properly. And that’s why she just got the promotion of a lifetime.
Metreweli, a longtime spy, has been named the first-ever woman chief of England’s Special Intelligence Service, also known as MI6. Though the agency has existed for 116 years, her appointment is still historic. She’ll assume the job this fall.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that her promotion “comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital. 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,” he told The Guardian.
Prior to this role, Metreweli was the agency’s director general of technology and innovation. (It’s the job referred to commonly as “Q,” which will resonate especially with fans of the James Bond movie franchise.)
Beyond that, as one might imagine, not a great deal is known about the 47-year-old civil servant. But here’s what we do know: She spent a significant portion of her childhood in Hong Kong before moving to London to attend the Westminster School. From there, Metreweli studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, and earned a degree from the school’s Pembroke College in 1998. One year later, she signed on with MI6, where she has taken on numerous assignments in the Middle East and throughout Europe.
Though the majority of her work is, by necessity, shrouded in mystery, she has held numerous leadership roles during her time there, and earned several awards.
And now, she’ll be tackling her biggest assignment yet. In a brief statement, Mereweli said that “I am proud and honoured to be asked to lead my service. MI6 plays a vital role … in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas.”
She added, “I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.”
