Foreign secret service MI6 gets boss for the first time

For the first time in the history of the British Foreign Community Mi6, a woman is to take over his chief post. The anthropologist Blaise Metreweli studied will take over the role in autumn by the current incumbent Richard Moore, as the British government announced. Metreweli has therefore been working for the British secret service since 1999 and is currently director of the technology and innovation in the MI6. She spent most of her career in various functions in the Middle East and in Europe.

According to the MI6, this is usually called « C », according to the announcement, the operational responsibility for the secret service and is its only member, which is named in public. Metreweli said she was honored to be able to lead the service. As a MI6 boss, she will be subordinate to the Foreign Ministry.

Historical appointment

So far, a woman at the head of the legendary secret service has only been in the James Bond films, where actress Judy Dench embodied the fictional M several times from 1995 to 2015.

The historical premiere now falls into a time « in which the work of our intelligence services has never been as important as it is today, » Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quoted in the message. « The United Kingdom is confronted with threats of unprecedented extent – be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters, or hackers who try to disturb our public services with sophisticated cybert tactics. » Foreign Minister David Lammy also emphasized the importance of the role « in times of global instability ».