On December 15, 2025, Blaise Metreweli took office as the first female head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Her leadership marks a shift towards a more modern, inclusive, and effective intelligence agency, adapting to an era defined by conflict in Europe, including tensions with Russia. Public messaging by MI6 under Metreweli now portrays a diverse and open organization to attract talent and support. Former agency leaders actively promoted the #ForgetJamesBond campaign to dispel outdated stereotypes. Metreweli’s appointment follows a trend of promoting women to senior intelligence roles, with her background including being one of MI6’s top leaders. This leadership change comes as British intelligence faces new geopolitical challenges and aims for increased operational relevance.
Category: Intelligence & Espionage
Subcategory: Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
Incident Type: Recruitment of locals
Country: United Kingdom
Source report: foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/2…
