The current chairman of the Competition Authority, Bill Prasifka, has been appointed as the new Financial Services Ombudsman.
Mr Prasifka will succeed Joe Meade who retired on January 3rd and will take up his new role by early April.
PJ Fitzpatrick, who was appointed interim ombudsman and who did not apply for the job, will continue in the role until Mr Prasifka takes over.
The ombudsman investigates complaints from customers about regulated financial companies and has the power to make awards of up to €250,000.
Mr Prasifka worked as a solicitor at Dublin law firm William Fry before becoming a member of the Competition Authority in 1996. He took over as the Aviation Regulator in 1999 and returned to the Competition Authority as chairman in 2006.
