The Land Registry has announced that Mark Boyle will become its chairman.

Boyle will become the Land Registry’s first chair in its 149-year history. He currently works for the Shareholder Executive, part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, as chief operating officer.

Before joining the Shareholder Executive in 2008 he spent 12 years in senior commercial and corporate development roles with Compass Group and with Rentokil Initial, prior to which he spent 15 years in banking with Lloyds and Kleinwort Benson.

The new position, separate from the role of chief executive, was one recommendation of a recent Governance Review undertaken by Land Registry. The move will bring Land Registry into line with best practice for corporate governance.

Malcolm Dawson, chief land registrar and chief executive, said: “I am delighted that Mark will be joining us. He brings a broad experience from both the public and private sectors which will be invaluable in helping us to contribute to the development of thinking on a Public Data Corporation and how we might best support the government’s public data and economic growth objectives.””