For the first time in its storied history, MI6 may soon appoint a female director. Dame Barbara Woodward has emerged as the leading candidate for the role, reportedly competing against two other finalists—one woman and one man—for the position currently held by Sir Richard Moore. Moore is set to retire this year after a five-year tenure.
Woodward, alongside two unnamed serving MI6 officers, is vying to become the next chief of the intelligence agency. Her appointment would mark a groundbreaking moment, breaking gender barriers in British intelligence leadership.
A Trailblazing Career
Born in 1961 (implied from her 1983 graduation), Woodward’s academic and diplomatic journey has been marked by exceptional achievements. She earned an undergraduate Master of Arts (MA Hons) degree in 1983 before embarking on a teaching career in China. Between 1986 and 1988, she taught English at Nankai University in Tianjin and later at Hubei University in Wuhan, where she immersed herself in Chinese culture and mastered the language. Her linguistic prowess earned her the Chinese name Wu Baina (吴百纳), gifted by a London-based mentor.
Seeking to deepen her expertise, Woodward pursued postgraduate studies at Yale University, graduating with an MA in International Relations in 1988. Her career trajectory soared when she was appointed Britain’s first female Ambassador to China in February 2015—a historic moment that underscored her trailblazing role in British diplomacy.
If selected as MI6’s director, Woodward would not only shatter gender barriers but also bring decades of cross-cultural insight and strategic leadership to the role, potentially reshaping the agency’s future.
