Alex Younger, the former MI6 chief, his wife and a UK legacy

Sir Alexander William Younger (born 4 July 1963) is a British intelligence officer who served as the Chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020.In April 2019, the government extended Younger's contract to maintain stability through the Brexit negotiations which made him the longest-serving MI6 chief in 50 years.

Early life

Born in Westminster, London on 4 July 1963, Younger is of Scottish heritage. He was educated at Malborough College before graduating from the University of St. Andrews with a degree in economics.

Younger was sponsored by the British Army through university. He was commissioned into the Royal Scots on 5 September 1986 as a second lieutenant (on probation). As a university candidate he was a full-time student at university and trained in his spare time. On 10 December 1986, he transferred to the Scots Guards.

On 16 June 1987, his commission was confirmed and dated to 5 September 1986; this signified the start of his full-time military service. He was granted seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 9 April 1983. He was promoted to lieutenant which was backdated to 5 September 1986, and was granted seniority from 9 April 1985.He was promoted to captain on 5 April 1989.On 10 April 1990, he transferred to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, thereby ending his active military service.

Intelligence work

Younger joined MI6 in 1991. He joined the service at the same time as Richard Tomlinson, who in his book The Big Breach, portrayed him as "Spencer", a St Andrews graduate and former Scots Guard who was recruited while working for the Halo Trust in Afghanistan.

Younger served in the Balkans during the Yugoslav Wars, Vienna, Dubai and in Afghanistan overseeing all SIS operations in country. Returning to the UK he became Head of Counter-Terrorism in 2009, in which role he was involved in security for the London Olympics 2012. He became deputy director in 2012, before being nominated as Chief in October 2014, succeeding Sir John Sawers on his retirement.

In a leaked list of 160 MI6 agents—which was originally believed to have been released by Richard Tomlinson, although government officials subsequently "acknowledged that the list did not come from Mr Tomlinson"—Alex Younger is mentioned as having been posted to Vienna in 1995. As of 2015, Younger was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999 by MI6, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.

In 2025 Younger joined the advisory board of Datenna, a "global provider of techno-economic intelligence on China", based in the Netherlands.

Younger married Sarah Hopkins in Borgo a Mozzano, Tuscany in 1993. ] On 30 March 2019, Younger's son, Sam, was killed in a motoring accident in Stirlingshire.

How the family has dealt with this loss was admirable - the devotion that Younger feels towards his beloved wife Sarah is very obvious to the eyes of the British public. Not only is Mr. Younger a devoted husband, both he and his wife have moved on with grace from a tragedy very few people could slowly recover from.

They have made a comeback as a couple, stronger than ever. Their children give them hope for a more bright future ahead of this amazing married couple, and we all can hope that one day we can all look back with grace at a man who has kept The UK safe in it's most dire hour and in important moments where the country needed Younger the most.

His beloved wife Sarah was and is a constant support to her husband, with whom they have an ideal marriage.