Blaise Metreweli

{{Short description|British civil servant and intelligence officer}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Blaise Metreweli

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|07|30|df=yes}}

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG}}

| birth_name = Blaise Florence Metreweli

| office = Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service

| primeminister = Sir Keir Starmer

| term_start = 1 October 2025

| predecessor =

| education = Pembroke College, Cambridge

| succeeding = Sir Richard Moore

| status = Designate

| relatives = Constantine Dobrowolski (grandfather)

}}

Blaise Florence Metreweli {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CMG|size=100%}} (born 30 July 1977) 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

Metreweli, together with her siblings, spent part of her childhood in Hong Kong. She attended Westminster School in London,{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/who-is-new-mi6-chief-blaise-metreweli-728d8bxdp|title=Who really is the new MI6 chief? Here's everything we could find|newspaper=The Times|date=20 June 2025|access-date=20 June 2025}} where she was captain of the school.{{cite news|title=Westminster School|date=31 August 1994|work=The Times|page=14}} She then studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Pembroke College in 1998.{{cite news|url=https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/pembroke-college-alumna-to-become-first-female-chief-of-mi6-9421743/|title=Pembroke College alumna Blaise Metreweli to become first female chief of MI6|date=18 June 2025|newspaper=The Cambridge Independent|access-date=20 June 2025}}{{cite journal | author = CUR Staff | date = 8 July 1998 | title = Congregations of the Regent House on 26 and 27 June 1998 | journal = Cambridge University Reporter (CUR) | volume = CXXVIII | issue = 32/5774 | url=https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/1997-98/weekly/5744/5.html | access-date=17 June 2025 }} For the title page of this issue, providing the indicated title under the Acta, see [https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/1997-98/weekly/5744/ this link]. At Cambridge, she—alongside future Olympians Sarah Winckless,{{cite web | author = BBC Staff | date=27 April 2009 |title=Olympian Winckless quits rowing |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/rowing/8020302.stm |accessdate=18 October 2014}} Francesca Zino,{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/zi/francesca-zino-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418025535/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/zi/francesca-zino-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Francesca Zino Olympic Results |accessdate=24 September 2018}} and Alison Mowbray{{cite news |title=British women gain degree of success by capturing silver in quadruple sculls |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/british-women-gain-degree-of-success-by-capturing-silver-in-quadruple-sculls-557535.html?amp |work=The Independent |date=22 August 2004 |first=Paul |last=Newman}}—was a member of the Cambridge University Women's Boat Club 1997 Blue Boat crew that won that year's Women's Boat Race.{{cite web|url=http://cuwbchistory.org/crew-lists/crew-lists-1990s#BB1997|access-date=16 June 2025|title=Crews of the 1990s|website=Cambridge University Women's Boat Club |author1 = Kingsbury, Jane| author2=Williams, Carol | quote = Year 1996-7 / President: Sarah Winckless (Fitzwilliam) / Date of races: 23rd March [1997] at Henley / Result: Cambridge by 1 ¼ lengths in 6 mins 26 secs / Crew: Blue Boat / Bow: Emily Grabham (LMBC) ... 5: Blaise Metreweli (Pembroke) … 6: Francesca Zino (Magdalene) … Spares: Alison Mowbray}}

Family background

Metreweli's father, Constantine Metreweli, was born Constantine Dobrowolski, the son of Nazi collaborator Constantine Dobrowolski, in Snovsk in the Nazi-occupied Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1943; he came to England with his mother after the war.{{cite web |date=1999 |title=Imaging Science & Oncology 1999 – Finzi Lecture programme |url=https://www.bir.org.uk/media/543540/1999-radiology-1999-imaging-science-oncology.pdf |publisher=British Institute of Radiology |page=10}} He became a physician and radiologist, and was chair of diagnostic radiology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also trained in the British Army, and did a medical residency in Riyadh from 1982 to 1985. He took the surname Metreweli, which is of Georgian origin, from his stepfather.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/new-mi6-chiefs-grandfather-was-nazi-butcher-2nkht325b|title=New MI6 chief's grandfather was Nazi 'Butcher'|date=27 June 2025|work=The Times| url-access = subscription}}{{Cite news |last1=Warrell |first1=Helen |last2=Sheppard |first2=David |date=2025-06-15 |title=Britain's MI6 Spy Agency Promotes 'Q' to be First Female Head |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b12e7a28-7693-4173-a8d4-ee0e2203b558 |access-date=2025-06-16 |work=Financial Times | url-access = subscription|quote= "Her surname is Georgian, reflecting her eastern European heritage."}} In 1999, he was quoted as saying that he "owes everything to his parents and English education." The Foreign Office stated that Metreweli "neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather".{{Cite web |date=2025-06-27 |title=Blaise Metreweli: MI6 distances new chief from Nazi grandfather |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l406gpydgo |access-date=28 June 2025 |work=BBC}}

Career

Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999, and "spent much of her early career in the Middle East, at a time when Britain was involved militarily in Afghanistan and Iraq". Since that time, she has worked continuously as an intelligence officer,{{Cite web |title=Career spy Blaise Metreweli to become first woman to head MI6 |url=https://news.sky.com/story/career-spy-blaise-metreweli-to-become-first-woman-to-head-mi6-13384275 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Sky News |language=en |first=Deborah|last=Haynes|author-link=Deborah Haynes}} including director-level roles at MI5. 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. From 2000 until 2003 Metreweli was Second Secretary for Economic in Dubai, for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

During her career Metreweli has given newspaper interviews: to The Telegraph in 2021 (under the code name "Director K"), and to the Financial Times in 2022 (under the pseudonym "Ada").{{cite news |last=Warrell |first=Helen |date=8 December 2022 |title=The Secret Lives of MI6's Top Female Spies |work=Financial Times |location=London |url=https://www.ft.com/content/741772c0-ee76-4d3d-bfcd-4fabc1fb405d |access-date=20 June 2025 | url-access = subscription}} {{As of|2021|12}} she was on secondment as Head of Hostile States Counterintelligence ("Director K") to MI5. {{As of|2025|06}}, Metreweli was Director General of Technology and Innovation ("Q") at MI6, At that time, and for the first time, three of the four MI6 directors-general were women.{{cite news | author = Economist Staff | date = 17 June 2025 | title = MI6's New "C" Used to be "Q". And She's Good With the Gadgets | url = https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/06/17/mi6s-new-c-used-to-be-q-and-shes-good-with-the-gadgets | newspaper = The Economist | access-date = 18 June 2025 }}

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.{{Cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Chris |last2=Gardner |first2=Frank |last3=Preston |first3=Rich |date=15 June 2025 |title=Blaise Metreweli appointed as MI6's first female chief |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxyx04dv1wo |access-date=15 June 2025 |website=BBC News}} She will take office in September or October of 2025. There were four candidates for chief of MI6, three from the British intelligence agencies, and Barbara Woodward from the Foreign Office. Metreweli is the first female head of MI6, who is known as "C". As chief of MI6, she will become the only publicly named member of the service. She will be the third chief to have studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Recognition

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".

Personal life

Metreweli is fluent in Arabic.

She has siblings, and children.

Metreweli takes part in masters rowing, rowing in the 2024 and 2025 veterans boat races between Oxford and Cambridge.

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DcOAQAAMAAJ&q=Metreweli+Blaise|title=Part IV: Biographical List|series=The Diplomatic Service List|year=2006|chapter=Metreweli; Blaise Florence|quote=FCO since March 2003; Born [1977-07-30]; FCO 1999; Second Secretary (Economic) Dubai 2000; Band C4.|page=263|author=Foreign and Commonwealth Office|author-link=Foreign and Commonwealth Office|publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office|isbn=978-0-11-591784-4 |issn= 0419-1714}}

{{Cite news |last=Mendick |first=Robert |date=2021-12-03 |title=Exclusive: Meet 'Director K', the MI5 Spy Responsible for Keeping Britain Safe From China and Russia |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/03/exclusive-meet-director-k-mi5-spy-responsible-keeping-britain/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/741772c0-ee76-4d3d-bfcd-4fabc1fb405d|title=British Secret Intelligence Service: The Secret Lives of MI6's Top Female Spies|work=FT Magazine|first=Helen|last=Warrell|date=2022-12-08|access-date=2025-06-16|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608225624/https://www.ft.com/content/741772c0-ee76-4d3d-bfcd-4fabc1fb405d| archive-date=8 June 2025| url-status=live}}

{{Cite web |title= Order of Saint Michael and Saint George: Blaise METREWELI |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4644616 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website= The Gazette| date=15 June 2024 }}

{{cite news|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/perm-secs-recognised-in-kings-birthday-honours|title={{abbr|Perm secs|Permanent secretaries}} recognised in King's Birthday Honours|work=Civil Service World|first1=Jim|last1=Dunton|first2=Tevye|last2=Markson|date=2024-06-17|access-date=2025-06-16|quote=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.}}

{{Cite press release | author1 = Prime Minister's Office| author2 = Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office| author3 = Starmer, Keir |author3-link=Keir Starmer| date = 15 June 2025 | title=First Ever Female MI6 Chief Appointed | website=Gov.uk | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-ever-female-mi6-chief-appointed | access-date=2025-06-15 |language=en}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rowing/2025/06/16/rowed-against-new-mi6-chief-blaise-metreweli/|title=I Rowed Against 'C'—It's No Surprise She's the New M16 Chief|work=The Telegraph|first1=Lebby|last1=Eyres|author-link1=|first2=Ed|last2=Cummings|date=2025-06-16|access-date=2025-06-16}}

{{Cite news | last=Mitchell |first=Archie| date=2025-06-15 |title=Blaise Metreweli Appointed as First Female Head of MI6 | newspaper = The Independent | url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/mi6-blaise-metreweli-starmer-moore-b2770436.html | access-date=2025-06-15 | language=en}}

{{Cite news |last=Plunkett |first=Suzanne |date=2025-06-15 |title=Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-appoints-first-female-head-mi6-spy-agency-2025-06-15/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |work=Reuters |language=en}}

{{cite news| last=Mendick| first=Robert| date=2025-06-16| title=The New MI6 Chief is No Diversity Hire| work=The Daily Telegraph| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/16/the-new-mi6-chief-is-no-diversity-hire/| access-date=2025-06-17}}

{{cite twitter|number=1934376904900891129|user=ChiefMI6|first=Richard|last=Moore|author-link=Richard Moore (diplomat)|date=2025-06-16|access-date=2025-06-16|title = I am delighted to announce that Blaise Metreweli will succeed me as Chief of #MI6 on 1 October 2025... }}

{{cite web|last=David | first=Rohit | date = 16 June 2025 | title=Quick Facts About Blaise Metreweli: Age, Career, Family, and Appointment as MI6 First Female Chief |work=International Business Times| url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/quick-facts-about-blaise-metreweli-age-career-family-appointment-mi6-first-female-chief-1735860| access-date=16 June 2025}}

{{cite web|url=https://cubc.org.uk/2025/06/17/alumna-blaise-metreweli-appointed-chief-of-mi6/|title=Alumna Blaise Metreweli appointed Chief of MI6|department=News|publisher=Cambridge University Boat Club|first=Sarah Kate|last=Roberts}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/blaise-metreweli-female-head-mi6-b1233581.html|title=Battle of the spies: how Blaise Metreweli triumphed, and saw off her biggest rival, in the fight to lead MI6|work=London Standard|first=Anne|last=McElvoy|author-link=Anne McElvoy|date=2025-06-18|access-date=2025-06-19}}

}}