insidethegames reported on April 16 that Armitt had been identified by headhunters Odgers Ray & Berndtson as the outstanding candidate for the job.

 

Announcing the appointment, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "John Armitt will be an outstanding leader of a world class team at the Olympic Delivery Authority. 

 

"He has a formidable amount of experience in engineering and construction, and is so well placed to lead an organisation charged with delivering one of the biggest and most complex building and regeneration projects this country has ever seen.

 

"I am confident that under John's leadership, the ODA will ensure that London 2012 will be remembered not only for fantastic sport, but also inspiring venues, a legacy of world class sporting facilities, and the regeneration of one of the most deprived areas of the UK."

 

The 61-year-old Armitt, a civil engineer by training, was head of Union Railways and was a key player in planning the Channel Tunnel rail link, which Lemley was also closely involved in.

 

The Government knows that after the adverse publicity surrounding Lemley’s controversial departure last October they cannot afford to make another mistake with the next appointment for the part-time £250,000 per year post.

 

The son of a Methodist retailer, Armitt has been used to working under pressure all of his working life - after graduating from Portsmouth College of Technology in 1966, he began his career as a “peg basher” on a string of construction sites, where he hammered in positioning markers to show builders where to dig.

 

His early jobs before drifting into the railway industry also involved working on tower blocks in Southend and electricity substations.

 

He rose through the ranks at the construction company John Laing to become an international project manager at 31.

 

In 1987, he oversaw the construction of the Sizewell B nuclear plant.

 

Armitt, whose sporting interests are listed as golf and sailing, was also an enthusiastic backer of London’s bid and earlier this month he announced that Network Rail planned to invest £2.4 billion into railway expansion over the next two years, including £109 million for schemes connected with the 2012 Olympics.

 

Sir Roy McNulty, who has been the acting chairman since Lemley resigned controversially last October, will continue in the role until September when Armitt will take over and he will revert to his former role as deputy chairman.

 

 

 

McNulty's hopes of getting the job were probably ended when he criticised the Government for not setting a proper budget for the Games during the bidding process.

 

Jowell said: "I would also like to pay tribute to the excellent work that Sir Roy McNulty has done as Acting Chair since October. 

 

"Under his stewardship the ODA has gone from strength to strength and is now in an excellent position to meet the next challenges ahead. 

 

"I am delighted that Roy will continue as deputy chair."

 

Mr Armitt has been chief executive of Network Rail since October 2002 and is due to step down in July.

 

A civil engineer by training, he was previously Chief Executive of Costain Group and Union Railways.

 

Armitt said: "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed chair of the Olympic
Delivery Authority.

 

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 will be the most exciting event to take place in this country in our lifetime.

 

"The ODA has a critical part to play in delivering the venues and infrastructure, not just for the Games but for generations to come.

 

"It has made a very good start to this hugely challenging project and I look forward to providing leadership as the programme now moves to the next stage."

 

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said: "We have always been committed to building the best team to deliver the venues for 2012 and John Armitt's extensive construction experience on major infrastructure projects will be invaluable towards achieving our goal of staging the greatest games ever and transforming East London and the lives of all the communities that live there.

 

"I look forward to working with John over the next exciting and challenging few years.

 

Sebastian Coe, chairman of LOCOG, said: "John and the experience he brings with him will be a great addition to the team and I am looking forward to working closely with him over the coming years.

 

"Together with the ODA we have achieved someexceptional milestones in our first full year of planning.

 

"With John on board and the continuity that Roy McNulty brings we are confident that the momentum will be maintained as we move into the building phase of the Olympic Park."