Sir Reg Empey has appointed Danny Kennedy as deputy leader of the Ulster Unionists.
Mr Kennedy (46) is an Assembly member for Newry-Armagh and was appointed education spokesman by former UUP leader David Trimble.
He was clearly aligned with Sir Reg's bid for the leadership and took his place on the platform alongside the new leader at the press conference following the leadership ballot result.
Announcing the appointment yesterday, Sir Reg said: "I am confident that Danny has the necessary skills and experience to make a valuable contribution to our Assembly party. He will be given specific responsibilities with regard to the delivery of service by our Assembly members throughout the province."
The Irish Times understands Mr Kennedy will act as a party "enforcer and fixer" alongside Sir Reg as the emerging leadership moves to assert its authority.
One reliable UUP source yesterday said the new leadership had no option but to move swiftly to establish itself, make a clean break from the Trimble era and enact a series of reforms and appointments.
The source indicated that a role would be clarified for Alan McFarland, the leadership contender who ran a close second to Sir Reg at the leadership ballot last Friday. Lady (Sylvia) Hermon, the party's sole remaining Westminster MP and a keen supporter of Mr McFarland, is known to be eagerly anticipating Sir Reg's next moves.
Mr Kennedy lost no time yesterday in using his new party status to sound a tough line on the anticipated IRA statement regarding its future.
Following a UUP meeting in Belfast with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Mr Kennedy said: "Irrespective of what the IRA say in any imminent statement, the UUP and the unionist community will judge them on their actions, not their words."