Blaise Metreweli

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Blaise Metreweli
CMG
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service
Designate
Assuming office
1 October 2025
Prime MinisterSir Keir Starmer
SucceedingSir Richard Moore
Personal details
Born
Blaise Florence Metreweli

(1977-07-30) 30 July 1977 (age 47)
RelativesConstantine Dobrowolski (grandfather)
EducationPembroke College, Cambridge

Blaise Florence Metreweli CMG (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

[edit]

Blaise Florence Metreweli was born on 30 July 1977.[1] Metreweli, together with her siblings, spent part of her childhood in Hong Kong.[2] She left Cheltenham Ladies' College in 1993,[3] then attended Westminster School in London.[4] From 1994 to 1995, Metreweli was captain of Westminster School.[3][5] She then studied anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge in 1998.[6][7][8][9] At Cambridge, alongside future Olympians Sarah Winckless,[10] Francesca Zino,[11] and Alison Mowbray,[12] she was a member of the Cambridge University Women's Boat Club Blue Boat crew that won the 1997 Women's Boat Race against Oxford University.[13] In the same year, Metreweli was part of the rowing crew that won the 1997 May Bumps for Pembroke College against other Cambridge University teams.[14]

Family background

[edit]

Metreweli's father, Constantine Metreweli, was born Constantine Dobrowolski, the son of Nazi collaborator Constantine Dobrowolski, in Snovsk in the Chernigov Oblast of the Nazi-occupied Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1943. He came to England with his mother, who then married David Metreweli in Yorkshire in 1947.[2][15] After attending The Latymer School, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, 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.[16][9] He took the surname Metreweli, which is of Georgian origin, from his stepfather.[2] After the Daily Mail broke the story about Metreweli's paternal grandfather in June 2025, following the announcement that Metreweli was going to be head of MI6, the Foreign Office stated that she had never known him and that her complex Eastern European heritage had "contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6".[15]

Career

[edit]

Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999,[9] and "spent much of her early career in the Middle East, at a time when Britain was involved militarily in Afghanistan and Iraq".[17] Since that time, she has worked continuously as an intelligence officer,[18] including director-level roles at MI5.[19][20] 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.[9] From 2000 until 2003 Metreweli was Second Secretary for Economic in Dubai, for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[1] Around the time that John Sawers became Chief of MI6 in 2009, Metrewli was heading up an MI6 station in the middle-east.[21]

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").[17][22] As of December 2021 she was on secondment as Head of Hostile States Counterintelligence ("Director K") to MI5.[23][24] As of June 2025, Metreweli was Director General of Technology and Innovation ("Q") at MI6,[24][20][19][9] At that time, and for the first time, three of the four MI6 directors-general were women.[22][25]

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.[26][6] She will take office in September or October 2025.[24][27] There were four candidates for chief of MI6, three from the British intelligence agencies, and Barbara Woodward from the Foreign Office.[28] 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.[18] She will be the third chief to have studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge.[17]

Recognition

[edit]

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".[29][30]

Personal life

[edit]

Metreweli is fluent in Arabic.[17] She has children,[23][24] and takes part in masters rowing,[17][28] rowing in the 2024 and 2025 veterans boat races between Oxford and Cambridge.[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2006). "Metreweli; Blaise Florence". Part IV: Biographical List. The Diplomatic Service List. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-11-591784-4. ISSN 0419-1714. FCO since March 2003; Born [1977-07-30]; FCO 1999; Second Secretary (Economic) Dubai 2000; Band C4.
  2. ^ a b c Goodwin, Harry (26 June 2025). "New MI6 chief's grandfather was Nazi 'Butcher'". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Deeds, W.F.; Combe, Victoria (21 February 1995). "When Amy met Tom, Dick and Harry". Features. The Daily Telegraph. Picture: Stephen Shepherd. p. 17. Retrieved 14 July 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Blaise Metreweli: now captain of Westminster School. … When Blaise Metreweli, 17, said that she was going to leave Cheltenham Ladies' College in 1993, her headmistress offered to make her head of the school. She turned down. Today she is Captain of Westminster, with 598 boys and 70 girls under command. She is studying Russian, economics, history and art.
  4. ^ "Who really is the new MI6 chief? Here's everything we could find". The Times. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Westminster School". The Times. 31 August 1994. p. 14.
  6. ^ a b Plunkett, Suzanne (15 June 2025). "Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency". Reuters. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Pembroke College alumna Blaise Metreweli to become first female chief of MI6". The Cambridge Independent. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  8. ^ CUR Staff (8 July 1998). "Congregations of the Regent House on 26 and 27 June 1998". Cambridge University Reporter (CUR). CXXVIII (32/5774). Retrieved 17 June 2025. For the title page of this issue, providing the indicated title under the Acta, see this link.
  9. ^ a b c d e David, Rohit (16 June 2025). "Quick Facts About Blaise Metreweli: Age, Career, Family, and Appointment as MI6 First Female Chief". International Business Times. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  10. ^ BBC Staff (27 April 2009). "Olympian Winckless quits rowing". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  11. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Francesca Zino Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  12. ^ Newman, Paul (22 August 2004). "British women gain degree of success by capturing silver in quadruple sculls". The Independent.
  13. ^ Kingsbury, Jane; Williams, Carol. "Crews of the 1990s". Cambridge University Women's Boat Club. Retrieved 16 June 2025. 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
  14. ^ "Downing head off the danger". Monday Sports Extra. Cambridge Evening News. 16 June 1997. p. 29. Retrieved 15 May 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Burning their boats: the victorious Pembroke women's crew set light to an eight in celebration of their Headship in the May Bumps. In the women's event, Pembroke powered their way over to take the Headship for the first time since the women started rowing. Head Boats: Women: Pembroke: Cox Sonja Peasey, stroke Erin Rose, 7 Chris Warren, 6 Blaise Metreweli, 5 Annette Fischer, 4 Antonia Beresford, 3 Zoe Hargreaves, 2 Ellie Day, bow Alice Bateman.
  15. ^ a b "MI6 distances its new chief from Nazi grandfather". BBC News. 27 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Imaging Science & Oncology 1999 – Finzi Lecture programme" (PDF). British Institute of Radiology. 1999. p. 10.
  17. ^ a b c d e Eyres, Lebby; Cummings, Ed (16 June 2025). "I Rowed Against 'C'—It's No Surprise She's the New M16 Chief". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  18. ^ a b Haynes, Deborah. "Career spy Blaise Metreweli to become first woman to head MI6". Sky News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  19. ^ a b Mitchell, Archie (15 June 2025). "Blaise Metreweli Appointed as First Female Head of MI6". The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  20. ^ a b Prime Minister's Office; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Starmer, Keir (15 June 2025). "First Ever Female MI6 Chief Appointed". Gov.uk (Press release). Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  21. ^ Smith, Stephen (21 June 2025). Blaise Metreweli. BBC Radio 4. Profile. Retrieved 15 July 2025. [06:58‒07:46] This is John Sawers, I was chief of MI6 from 2009 to 2014, having spent most of my career in the Foreign Office. I didn't know Blaise before I became Chief, but I met her on one of my early trips to the Middle East where she was heading a station there: the MI6 station there, and doing an excellent job and she was impressive from the outset. … no-one has a gilded path in this world, but she clearly had leadership potential: she was great presence; she is quite an inspiring figure; very clear and focused; but also with a quick sense of humour, and good at managing people. So, she had all the qualities for leadership, and I'm sure she'll be very good at it, but it's a new role for her.
  22. ^ a b Warrell, Helen (8 December 2022). "British Secret Intelligence Service: The Secret Lives of MI6's Top Female Spies". FT Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  23. ^ a b Mendick, Robert (3 December 2021). "Exclusive: Meet 'Director K', the MI5 Spy Responsible for Keeping Britain Safe From China and Russia". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d Mendick, Robert (16 June 2025). "The New MI6 Chief is No Diversity Hire". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  25. ^ Economist Staff (17 June 2025). "MI6's New "C" Used to be "Q". And She's Good With the Gadgets". The Economist. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  26. ^ Mason, Chris; Gardner, Frank; Preston, Rich (15 June 2025). "Blaise Metreweli appointed as MI6's first female chief". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  27. ^ Moore, Richard [@ChiefMI6] (16 June 2025). "I am delighted to announce that Blaise Metreweli will succeed me as Chief of #MI6 on 1 October 2025..." (Tweet). Retrieved 16 June 2025 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ a b McElvoy, Anne (18 June 2025). "Battle of the spies: how Blaise Metreweli triumphed, and saw off her biggest rival, in the fight to lead MI6". London Standard. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  29. ^ "Order of Saint Michael and Saint George: Blaise METREWELI". The Gazette. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  30. ^ Dunton, Jim; Markson, Tevye (17 June 2024). "Perm secs recognised in King's Birthday Honours". Civil Service World. Retrieved 16 June 2025. 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.
  31. ^ Roberts, Sarah Kate. "Alumna Blaise Metreweli appointed Chief of MI6". News. Cambridge University Boat Club.

Further reading

[edit]