For the first time, female leadership at the British secret service MI6: Metreweli takes over!

For the first time, female leadership at the British secret service MI6: Metreweli takes over!

Großbritannien - on Sunday Great Britain made a historical decision by appointing a woman to the head of the MI6 foreign intelligence agency for the first time. Blaise Metreweli, who is currently working as a technology director at the MI6, will take over the management in autumn and thus follows Richard Moore, who has held the post since 2019. Metreweli, which entered the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1999, has already had extensive experience in operational functions in the Middle East and Europe. In her previous office, she is referred to internally as "Q", while in her new role it will operate under the traditional abbreviation "C".

With the appointment of Metreweli, all three large British secret services - MI6, MI5 and GCHQ - now have female leaders. As oe24, the MI5 was led by a woman for the first time in the 1990s. out of which Great Britain will stand, especially with regard to relationships with Russia, China and Iran.

challenges for the new leadership

The greatest challenges that Metreweli will meet are the activities of Russia, according to the British secret services, committed sabotage files in Europe in order to intimidate supporters of Ukraine. Beijing was also classified as "top priority" by her predecessor Moore in 2021. In addition, Iran is blamed for murder and kidnapping plans against dissidents in Great Britain, which has a strong influence on the work of the MI5. Metreweli brings valuable experiences because she previously worked in a leadership position at the MI5 and studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge.

The appointment of Metreweli is not only an important step for the MI6, but also a signal for a changing sector. Historically, women in British intelligence history often had to deal with structural barriers and discrimination. Many were pushed in secretarial roles or used as "honeypots". In the late 1970s, however, people regularly began to recruit women as secret service officers, which is a change in a traditionally male -dominated industry.

A look at the women in the secret service

The challenges in front of which women face in this sector are diverse. In an article by ft, the experiences of women at SIS are highlighted, including the statements by Kathy, one of the four directors of the SIS that describes their career paths in an environment dominated by male. The importance of diversity in secret service work is emphasized, especially with regard to the balance between work and family.