ESSEX County Cricket Club have announced who will be taking over as their chief executive.

Former Ipswich Town CEO Derek Bowden has been unveiled as David East’s replacement at the soon to be redeveloped Ford County Ground.

Along with his time at Portman Road, where he helped restructure the Football League club’s finances, Mr Bowden also worked in senior roles at advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi over an 18 year period.

He said his is excited about starting his new job in Chelmsford, where he will take up the post just after the start of the 2013 season.

Mr Bowden said: “I'm really looking forward to joining the team at Essex and working with them to create the success that Essex Cricket deserves.”

Nigel Hilliard, the cricket club’s chairman, said he believes Mr Bowden’s time working in similar roles at Ipswich and the advertising industry will help the club as they start redeveloping their home ground.

Mr Hilliard said: “Derek has a wealth of experience in the commercial and sporting world, which will be of great benefit to the club at a time when we are embarking on a major redevelopment of The Essex County Ground.

“Once completed the stadium will be a fitting centrepiece to the new City of Chelmsford.”

Work on transforming the County Ground into an 8,000-seater stadium with flats, offices and a multi-storey car park encapsulated in the plans.

Mr East stood from his role of CEO at the end of last year after 12 years in the job to take up the same post for the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club and Emirates Cricket Board.