Current chief operating officer, Ed Richards has been appointed new Ofcom CE with immediate effect.
He replaces Stephen Carter, who left the regulator at the end of July after three and a half years as chief executive. Ed was previously Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister for Media, telecoms, internet and e-govt.
Before that he was Controller of Corporate Strategy at the BBC. He also worked in consulting at London Economics Ltd, as an advisor to Gordon Brown MP and began his career as a researcher with Diverse Production Ltd, where he worked on programmes for Channel 4.
Ofcom Chairman David Currie said: "Ed has played a critically important role in the establishment of Ofcom. He has a profound understanding of the markets we regulate and is ideally placed to lead the organisation into the future."
Ed Richards said: "This is a fascinating job in a fascinating and fast changing area. We have a strong organisation, committed people and a track record that we intend to build on. I am thoroughly looking forward to the challenges.”