The environment secretary has confirmed Dame Helen Ghosh as the new chair of the Office for Environmental Protection.
Ghosh was Defra's permanent secretary from 2005 to 2010 and the Home Office's top civil servant from 2010-12.
After leaving government, she held roles as director general of the National Trust and master of Oxford University's Balliol College.
She will succeed Julie Hill, who is stepping down at the end of her term as the OEP’s interim chair on 30 May.
The announcement follows a joint hearing with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and Environmental Audit Committees on 28 April, where MPs approved Ghosh’s appointment.
In a report outlining their decision, MPs said Ghosh must continue to reinforce her and the OEP's independence from government.
“Dame Helen must also continue to build and improve relationships with key external stakeholders such as environmental groups and farmers, and further increase public awareness of the organisation,” MPs said.
The government said that Ghosh’s selection followed “a rigorous process” in accordance with the ministerial code for public appointments.
The OEP’s remit includes advising the government on environmental law, scrutiny of government policy and reviewing complaints from whistleblowers. The watchdog has powers to take legal action in serious cases.
Ghosh said: “The office has done a great job in its first six years in achieving real environmental improvement through its challenge and advice to government and regulators.
“But the 2030 deadline for achieving the first statutory improvement targets is rapidly approaching and delivery of most of those is way off track, as it is for the ambitions set out in the Environmental Improvement Plans in England and Northern Ireland.
“It will be even more important that the office focuses relentlessly on the areas and actions that will make the most difference.”
Environment secretary Emma Reynolds said Ghosh will bring “strong public service values and a wealth of experience to this role”.