MI6’s real-life ‘Q’ is a woman, spy agency chief tells gathering celebrating women in tech: Report

The official in charge of all the gadgetry at the real-life MI6 is a woman, British spymaster Sir Alex Younger told a gathering in London celebrating women in technology.

“If any of you would like to join us … the real-life Q is looking forward to meeting you, and I’m pleased to report that the real-life Q is a woman,” Mr. Younger told the audience of the Women in IT Awards in London, The Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday, referring to the character in the James Bond movies that equips 007 with his weapons and high-tech gadgets.

While Judi Dench portrayed agency chief “M” in seven James Bond outings, the Quartermaster or “Q” character has so far been portrayed by just three actors, all men: Ben Whishaw, John Cleese and the original “Q,” Desmond Llewelyn.

While the fantastic exploits of James Bond have piqued the imagination of fans the world over for more than 50 years, Mr. Younger told his audience that real-life intelligence work embodies the service and sacrifice of all kinds of people, and that diversity in hiring is vital to the health of the intelligence service.

“The more different people you have in the room, in these high-pressure circumstances in which we operate, the better the decisions,” he said, The Guardian reported. “So success for me is a deeper, broader range of technological skills in MI6 and more diversity, in particular more women.”

“My message is a simple one; we need the best talent from the widest range of backgrounds to counter the threats facing this country and to seize the opportunities presented by modern technology,” Mr. Younger said, according to an MI6 news release.