For the first time in 116 years, Britain’s foreign intelligence service MI6 is coming under the leadership of a woman. The new director is 47-year-old Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, Cambridge graduate and specialist in innovative technologies.
Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999, worked in Europe and the Middle East, and held senior posts in the Security Service. Until recently, she headed the intelligence service’s technology arm. That is especially important in the context of today’s threats — from cyberattacks to digital espionage.
Metreweli’s appointment is symbolic not only in terms of gender equality, but also as a reflection of a new era in national security: amid rapid technological change and growing cyber threats, the emphasis is on those who can think innovatively. Cyber threats, data leaks and digital infrastructure have all become part of everyday life. And the fact that one of the most influential posts in world intelligence is now going to a technology specialist speaks for itself.
Now that a seasoned female leader is at the helm of real intelligence, the image of the “Bond girl” as a decorative presence beside a charismatic man seems definitively outdated.
