Businessman, academic and government adviser Lord Currie of Marylebone, has been appointed Chair of the Council of the University of Essex.

David Currie who has served on Council, the University’s governing body, since August 2009, will take up the Chairmanship from 1 August 2011. He will replace Bill Gore, who is standing down after serving as Chair since January 2008.

Council, which has 25 members, is responsible for the University’s budget, its strategic planning and its capital investments, as well as staffing and health and safety issues. It meets four times a year, and has a number of committees covering areas such as Finance and Strategy and Audit and Risk Management.

The founding Chairman of Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, a position he held for seven years, Lord Currie is currently Chairman of the International Centre for Financial Regulation and Chairman of Semperian PPP Investment Partners. He is a Board member of the Dubai Financial Services Authority and his other Board memberships include the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He sits on the cross benches in the House of Lords.

In the 1990s, as a member of the Panel of Independent Forecasters, he advised two Conservative Chancellors, and also acted as informal adviser to three Labour shadow Chancellors.

During his academic career Lord Currie served as Professor of Economics at Queen Mary, University of London, Deputy Dean at London Business School and Director of its Centre for Economic Forecasting, and until 2007 Dean of City University’s Cass Business School.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan said: “David Currie brings a wealth of business and academic experience to the University, and I look forward to working closely with him as we face up to the challenges ahead.

“I would like to thank Bill Gore for the sound advice and judgement he has brought to the role over the past three years, during which the University has continued to expand and gone from strength to strength.”

David Currie said: “Throughout my academic career, I have always admired the University of Essex for its consistent commitment to research and teaching excellence. It is a great privilege and responsibility to become Chair of Council as we enter a period of considerable change in higher education, in which, I am confident, Essex will continue to thrive.”