Who is English cricket's new boss?

Collier meets the media as ECB chairman David Morgan looks on

The England and Wales Cricket Board is convinced it has made the right decision in appointing David Collier as their new chief executive.

But what is the background of the man charged with overseeing the operational and financial well-being of the domestic game?

Collier, who left his role as chief executive at Nottinghamshire to take the job, certainly has an impressive CV and has held high-profile positions in both the business and sporting world.

His appointment, following the departure of Tim Lamb, comes after spells at Essex, Gloucestershire and Leicestershire and it is likely to be greeted positively around the county circuit.

But even before he has taken charge at Lord's, Collier is under pressure to convince the wider public that he is the man to take English cricket forward.

COLLIER FACTFILE Born: 22 April 1955 (Leicester) 1979-83: Assistant secretary Essex CCC 1983-86: Chief executive Gloucestershire CCC 1986-89: Group marketing manager Sema Group plc 1989-94: President AMR Services 1994-96: Managing director SERVISAIR plc 1996-2000: Chief executive Leicester CCC 2000-04: Chief executive Nottinghamshire CCC

BBC Sport's Pat Murphy believes the ECB may have made a safety-first choice.

"David is efficient, hard-working and highly-regarded by the other county chairman, who want a more collaborative relationship with the new chief executive than they had with Tim Lamb in the past year," he told Radio Five Live.

"But English cricket needs more than a safe pair of hands at the top.

"It will be interesting to hear how Collier proposes to develop the ECB's financial potential.

"The other two on the shortlist, Richard Bevan of the Professional Cricketers' Association and Matthew Wheeler, a highly successful executive with various prestigious sports companies, were surely better qualified in that direction."

Collier, who is already a member of the ECB management board, studied Sports Management at Loughborough University and was appointed captain of English Universities at both hockey and cricket.

The 49-year-old is also a former international hockey umpire and recently helped produce a rescue package as vice-president of the English Hockey Association.

He joined Essex as assistant secretary in 1979 and was at the county for four years before joining Gloucestershire as chief executive.

It was then he cut his teeth in the business world, a period of his career which persuaded the ECB to give him the top job.

He has been senior vice-president of American Airlines as well as also holding senior management roles in the IT and sports management industries.

Collier joined Leicestershire in 1996 as chief executive and in that time the county claimed two Championship wins.

He stayed there for four years before joining Nottinghamshire in 2000 and under his stewardship, the county now have one of the most impressive international venues in the country.

In the last five years, Trent Bridge has seen £12m worth of developments and has staged Test and one-day internationals in every year of his tenure.