Blaise Metreweli

Blaise Metreweli, the first woman to lead Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in its 116-year history—bringing tech experience to the highest level of UK intelligence.

Metreweli spent part of her childhood in Hong Kong and studied anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge. She joined MI6 as a case officer in 1999 and has spent much of her 25-year career in operational roles for them across Europe and the Middle East. Metreweli has also held senior positions at MI5 and is fluent in Arabic.

Since 2021, she has served as Director General for Technology and Innovation at MI6, where she leads the agency’s strategy on cybersecurity, surveillance countermeasures, and emerging technologies. Her work has focused on modernizing digital tradecraft, developing AI-enabled tools, and building partnerships across the intelligence community. She is widely regarded as one of MI6’s leading voices on tech and innovation.

Metreweli takes on her new role in autumn 2025. Her appointment marks a historic milestone, and reflects the growing importance of tech in the future of intelligence. Best wishes to Metreweli for her awesome new role!

ps. She taught herself encryption as a kid and has called herself “a geek who always wanted to be a spy.” 🤓