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The broad role will encompass all communications channels, including marketing, media, news - such as the Government News Network - and interactive channels. The interactive channels were folded into the COI a year ago.

The Government News Network, the regional arm of Government communications, became part of the COI two years ago. Thus far, it has been managed by Bishop.

Cross will take direct responsibility for all the COI's strategic media planning activities on the agency's £144m annual media spend. This includes responsibility for the COI's communications planning roster comprising 14 media and strategic communications agencies, including Carat, MediaCom, MindShare, Starcom, Universal McCann, PHD and ZenithOptimedia. The roster is not due to be reviewed until 2010.

Identifying and evaluating emerging channels in interactive areas will be a crucial part of Cross' responsibilities.

Cross, who takes up a board position at the COI, will be mentored in his new role by deputy chief executive Peter Buchanan, who will continue to be ultimately responsible for media buying.

Cross will join the COI in the autumn after he has completed his consultancy work for the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising on its TouchPoints project. He, together with his business partner Ivor Hussein, played a key part in developing and launching the TouchPoints Survey in 2006.

His marketing and media consultancy mc2 will be wound down. Among Cross' other clients are Rajar, Saatchi & Saatchi and JCDecaux. He has also been a board director of Barb for the past seven years.

He began his career in media planning at DMB&B in 1983 before moving on to Young & Rubicam and Cogent Elliott Group. He established PHD Compass as a joint venture with PHD in 1996 and left at the end of 2003 to form mc2.

Bishop said Cross' role would be wide and considerably influential. Online development would be a key area along with other interactive channels, which include citizen helplines and contact centres. He added: "Mark has the insight and experience to ensure we make the most effective use of the COI's unique array of channels."