ST.JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

Management consultant Michael Muirhead has been appointed the new chief executive officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the regional governing body for the sport announced yesterday.

WICB board of directors approved Muirhead's appointment at a meeting in Barbados at the weekend.

The new WICB CEO holds an MBA in finance from Georgia State University in the United States of America and a degree in management studies from the University of the West Indies, Mona.

A Jamaican, Muirhead served as executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) of his native country from 2004 to 2006.

Since that time he has been engaged as a management consultant involved with several high-level projects in his native country.

His tenure at TPDCo was characterised by him having led the raising of the profile of the company and changing the perceived image among industry stakeholders, the WICB release said.

"The board is confident that the appointment of Mr Muirhead will ensure that West Indies cricket remains resolutely on the path to structured development and progress and that he is most capable of continuing the process of overseeing the implementation of the WICB Strategic Plan 2011-2016," Dr Julian Hunte, president of the WICB, said.