Richard Moore: From British Diplomat to Former MI6 Chief
The British intelligence officer spent decades in diplomacy and security before moving into advisory and public-service roles.
Introduction
Sir Richard Moore is a British former intelligence chief and diplomat. He is best known for leading the Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, from 2020 until 30 September 2025.
He had a long government career. Very long, actually. His work included intelligence, diplomacy, foreign policy and national security. He also served as Britain’s Ambassador to Turkey.
Right now, his career looks different. As of September 2026, he chairs the Kennedy Memorial Trust and works in senior advisory roles outside government.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sir Richard Peter Moore KCMG |
| Profession | Former intelligence officer and diplomat |
| Best known for | Former Chief of MI6 |
| MI6 tenure | 2020 to 30 September 2025 |
| Former diplomatic role | British Ambassador to Turkey |
| Education | Oxford University; Kennedy Scholar at Harvard |
| Language | Fluent Turkish |
| Honour | Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
| Wife | Maggie Moore |
| Children | Two |
| Current role | Chair of the Kennedy Memorial Trust |
| Current private-sector work | Senior Strategist at Sixth Street and Senior Advisor at Teneo |
Who Is Richard Moore?
Richard Moore spent close to four decades in British public service.
His work crossed several fields. Intelligence came first. Diplomacy followed too. Later came senior policy posts and the top job at MI6.
The UK government confirmed his appointment as Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in July 2020. Before that appointment, he was Political Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
His MI6 term has now ended.
The Kennedy Memorial Trust confirms that he served as Chief until 30 September 2025. Blaise Metreweli succeeded him as head of the service.
So, basically, articles calling him the current MI6 chief are now out of date.
Early Background and Education
Official UK government material says Moore was born in Libya.
Reliable primary sources do not give enough detail for a full childhood story, so there is little reason to fill that space with weak claims.
His education is better documented.
He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University. He later went to Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar during the 1985–86 academic year.
That Harvard connection came back years later.
In October 2025, he became Chair of the Kennedy Memorial Trust, the organisation connected with the scholarship that had supported his own postgraduate study.
He also completed the Stanford Executive Programme in 2007.
How His Government Career Started
Moore joined government service in 1987.
There is a useful point here. An older Foreign Office career record says he joined Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service in 1987. A later government announcement about his MI6 appointment states more specifically that he joined SIS in 1987 and worked in Britain and overseas.
Both are official records. The later statement gives more detail.
His early overseas assignments included Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia.
That gave him years of international experience before he reached the most senior jobs in Whitehall.
Early Diplomatic Posts
The Foreign Office published a detailed career record when he was appointed Ambassador to Turkey.
His documented posts included:
1988 — Third Secretary in Hanoi.
1990 — Second Secretary for political affairs in Ankara.
1991 to 1992 — Consul for political and press affairs in Istanbul.
1992 to 1995 — Foreign Office desk officer working on Iran.
1995 to 1998 — First Secretary in Islamabad.
1998 to 2001 — Section Head in the Foreign Office Security Policy Group.
2001 to 2005 — Counsellor in Kuala Lumpur.
2005 to 2008 — Deputy Director for the Middle East.
2008 to 2010 — Director for Programmes and Change.
2010 to 2012 — Director for Europe, Latin America and Globalisation.
It was a wide career. The pattern is clear. He repeatedly worked on foreign affairs, security and international relations.
British Ambassador to Turkey
Turkey became one of the clearest threads in his working life.
Moore was appointed British Ambassador to Turkey and took up the post in January 2014. He remained Ambassador until the end of 2017.
He already knew the country well.
He had served there earlier. He also speaks fluent Turkish, according to the official announcement of his MI6 appointment.
His connection with Turkey was personal too. In public remarks, he has discussed spending years there with his family.
That helps explain another choice.
He delivered his last major speech as MI6 chief in Istanbul in September 2025.
Senior Foreign Office Work
After his time as Ambassador, Moore returned to senior government work.
From April 2018 to August 2020, he was Director General for Political Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
He had also served as Deputy National Security Adviser in the Cabinet Office.
These positions placed him close to major foreign-policy and national-security decisions before his appointment to MI6.
Becoming Chief of MI6
The British government announced Moore as the next Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service on 29 July 2020.
He succeeded Sir Alex Younger.
MI6 is Britain’s foreign intelligence service. Its chief is commonly known as “C” and is the only serving member of the organisation officially identified in public.
Moore led the organisation for five years.
His term ran until 30 September 2025.
During that period, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, technology, cyber risks, state threats and changes in intelligence work featured heavily in his public speeches.
These speeches should be read as his official statements and assessments. They are not independent proof of classified operations.
A More Public MI6
Moore made more public appearances than people may expect from an intelligence chief.
His first major public speech as Chief came in November 2021.
He talked about human intelligence, technology and the security challenges facing the service. He also argued that MI6 needed to work with outside technology partners as intelligence work changed.
Public communication became a visible part of his term.
Actually, that continued until the end.
In his final speech on 19 September 2025, he reflected on five years running the service and discussed Russia, technology, recruitment and the future of MI6.
His Final Months at MI6
In June 2025, MI6 announced Blaise Metreweli as Moore’s successor.
She became the first woman appointed to lead the service.
Moore’s own final speech followed in September.
He described it as his last speech as “C” and said he was ending almost four decades of public service.
His formal MI6 service ended on 30 September 2025.
This date matters.
It separates his government career from what he does now.
What Is Richard Moore Doing Now?
As of September 2026, Moore has several confirmed roles.
First, he is Chair of the Kennedy Memorial Trust.
He started that position on 1 October 2025, one day after his MI6 tenure ended. The Trust’s current website still lists him as Chair.
He has also moved into strategic advisory work.
Sixth Street
Sixth Street announced his appointment as Senior Strategist on 2 March 2026.
The global investment firm said he would advise the firm, its capital partners and clients on geopolitical conditions, security, risk and strategic decisions.
He is based professionally in the firm’s London office.
Teneo
Teneo announced him as a Senior Advisor in March 2026.
Its current profile lists him within the company’s Global Political Risk Advisory business.
Teneo’s profile also says he serves on Bank of America’s Global Advisory Council and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Global Advisory Board.
These positions show where his career has gone since leaving government: geopolitical analysis, international risk and institutional advisory work.
Richard Moore and the Kennedy Memorial Trust
This role has a clear personal link.
He was a Kennedy Scholar himself. He studied at Harvard during 1985–86.
Four decades later, he became Chair of the organisation.
The Kennedy Memorial Trust supports British postgraduate students selected for study at Harvard University and MIT.
His chairmanship began on 1 October 2025.
He has since appeared at Trust events, including gatherings of former Kennedy Scholars.
Richard Moore’s Wife and Family
Official UK government records identify his wife as Maggie and say they have two children.
The Kennedy Memorial Trust has also publicly referred to her as Lady Maggie Moore in coverage of a 2026 scholar event.
Moore has spoken publicly about his family’s link with Turkey.
His daughter was born in Istanbul, and he and his family spent part of his diplomatic career living in the country.
The public record gives enough to answer the basic family question. There is no need to push further into private details.
Personal Interests
Government material has listed golf among his interests.
The official announcement of his MI6 appointment also mentioned watching cricket and rugby.
His government profile has previously listed hiking, scuba diving, Turkish carpets, porcelain and visits to historical sites among his interests.
Football appears in his public remarks too.
In his September 2025 speech in Istanbul, he spoke about his connection with Turkey and his support for Beşiktaş.
Honour and Knighthood
His formal name is Sir Richard Peter Moore KCMG.
He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours.
The official Gazette notice gave the reason as services to national security and British foreign policy.
That is why “Sir” now appears before his name.
Salary and Net Worth
There is verified historical government salary information.
Foreign Office senior staff data for March 2019 placed his salary band as Director General Political at £130,000 to £134,999.
That figure relates to that government post and that period. It is not his current income.
His newer private-sector roles are publicly confirmed, but reliable sources checked for this article do not publish his present compensation.
A verified personal net-worth figure should not be stated.
Random net-worth websites are not enough.
Why Richard Moore Is Still in the Public Eye
Leaving MI6 did not end his public work.
His role simply changed.
He now works across scholarship governance, international affairs and geopolitical advisory work.
His career also gives him an unusual public profile. He has worked as an intelligence officer, diplomat, ambassador, national-security official and intelligence chief.
Now, he advises organisations outside government.
Final Thought
Richard Moore’s public record stretches across nearly four decades of British diplomacy and intelligence.
The main fact readers need today is simple.
He is a former MI6 chief.
His term ended in September 2025. As of September 2026, he chairs the Kennedy Memorial Trust and holds senior advisory positions including roles with Sixth Street and Teneo.
That current status matters because older government pages and older articles can still make his MI6 position look current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Richard Moore?
Sir Richard Moore is a former British diplomat and intelligence officer who led MI6 from 2020 to 2025.
Is Richard Moore still the head of MI6?
No. His tenure ended on 30 September 2025, and Blaise Metreweli succeeded him.
What does Richard Moore do now?
As of September 2026, he chairs the Kennedy Memorial Trust and holds senior advisory roles including positions with Sixth Street and Teneo.
Was Richard Moore an ambassador?
Yes. He served as British Ambassador to Turkey from 2014 to 2017.
Where did Richard Moore study?
Richard Moore studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford and later attended Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar.
Does Richard Moore speak Turkish?
Yes. The UK government has confirmed that he speaks fluent Turkish.
Who is Richard Moore’s wife?
Official government sources identify his wife as Maggie Moore.
Does Richard Moore have children?
Yes. UK government material states that he and his wife have two children.
Why is Richard Moore called “Sir”?
Richard Moore was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2023 for services to national security and British foreign policy.
