The Irish Film Board has appointed Simon Perry as its new chief executive, replacing Mark Woods, who resigned in April after just 18 months in the job.
A 61-year-old Englishman, Mr Perry brings a remarkably broad range of experience to his post.
Having produced two micro-budget films in the mid-1970s, he worked for three years in the London bureau of the leading international entertainment industry paper, Variety.
In 1982, having served for three years as head of the UK National Film Development Fund, Mr Perry set up his own production company, Umbrella Films, and produced or co-produced 10 feature films, including 1984 and White Mischief. In 1992 he produced The Playboys, written by Shane Connaughton and shot in Cavan with a cast led by Albert Finney, Aidan Quinn, Robin Wright Penn and Milo O'Shea.
From 1991 to 2000 Mr Perry worked as chief executive of British Screen. Since 2000 he has been co-founder and president of Ateliers du Cinéma Européen, a Paris-based training initiative for European film producers; film financing consultant for a Swedish regional film centre; a course supervisor and lecturer at the International Film School in Cologne; and film production consultant for the republic of Macedonia's ministry of culture.