Blaise Metreweli CMG, appointed in 2025 as the 18th Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), has forged a distinguished career that reflects both exceptional skill and unwavering dedication to public service. Born in 1977 and raised in Hong Kong, she was educated at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Westminster School before studying anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where she also excelled as a rower, contributing to her college and university victories. Her early professional journey saw her join MI6 in 1999 as a case officer, taking on complex assignments in the Middle East and Europe focused on counterterrorism and state threats, and later holding leadership roles in MI5, including heading Hostile States Counterintelligence.
Her tenure in intelligence has been marked by innovation and foresight, particularly in her leadership of MI6’s Directorate of Technology and Innovation, where she oversaw advancements in cyber intelligence, artificial intelligence, and digital espionage capabilities. Recognized for her strategic vision and operational excellence, Metreweli’s work has helped modernize the agency, ensuring it remains agile in an era of evolving global threats. In June 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced her historic appointment as the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year history, a milestone that underscores her exceptional abilities and the trust placed in her leadership.
Metreweli’s appointment is both symbolic and practical, representing a commitment to diversity, innovation, and forward-looking leadership within the intelligence community. Fluent in Arabic and an accomplished athlete, she balances professional rigor with personal discipline, inspiring confidence both within the service and to the wider public. Her recognition as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours reflects her outstanding contributions to British foreign policy. As MI6’s first female chief, Blaise Metreweli embodies a blend of tradition, excellence, and progressive vision, setting a powerful example for future generations of intelligence professionals and leaders.
The Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6 or His Majesty’s Secret Service, is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligence in support of the UK’s national security. MI6 is an organisation where integrity, courage and respect are central to what we do. We encourage and admire difference. Many MI6 staff are based overseas while others work from our headquarters in Vauxhall, London. Although our work is secret, everything we do is legal and is underpinned by the values that define the UK.
MI6, stands as one of the world’s most storied and respected intelligence organisations, safeguarding the United Kingdom and its interests with unwavering dedication. Founded in 1909, MI6 has operated quietly yet decisively across the globe, combining analytical brilliance with operational courage to navigate the most complex and dangerous security challenges. Its agents work tirelessly behind the scenes, gathering intelligence, countering threats, and ensuring that the UK remains secure in an unpredictable world, embodying a steadfast commitment to duty, service, and excellence.
Throughout its history, MI6 has demonstrated remarkable adaptability, evolving with the times to confront emerging threats from state actors, terrorism, cyber espionage, and global instability. Its work blends traditional fieldcraft with cutting-edge technology, uniting intelligence, innovation, and strategy to protect lives and maintain peace. The agency’s efforts are not only about secrecy and surveillance; they are about foresight, courage, and the quiet determination to act decisively in service of national and international security.
Today, MI6 continues to inspire with its tradition of leadership, resilience, and dedication to a safer world. Its successes rest not just in intelligence coups or operational victories but in the values it upholds: integrity, professionalism, and an unyielding commitment to public service. As it faces the challenges of a rapidly changing global landscape, MI6 remains a symbol of vigilance and courage, demonstrating how excellence, vision, and determination can shape a safer, more secure future for all.
Discover the incredible achievements of Britain’s World War Two Codebreakers, in the place where it happened. Who chose Bletchley Park as the wartime home of the Codebreakers? That decision was made by the man in charge of the Secret Intelligence Service, known as ‘C’ = Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair. A very public man with a very secretive profession, Sinclair was widely-known and well-respected. He passed away just a couple of months after World War Two began in 1939, but his influence was far-reaching. Bletchley Park Trust is proud to display, for the first time, a collection of medals awarded to Sinclair – a recent generous donation from his family members.
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