ENERGY market regulator Ofgem has appointed Dermot Nolan as its next chief executive.

Mr Nolan, who will take up the role from March 2014, joins from the Commission for Energy Regulation in Ireland, where he has been a commissioner since 2008 and its chair since May 2011. Ofgem chairman David Gray said Mr Nolan's appointment comes at a "challenging time" for the industry but said his "economic background and wide experience of regulation and competition matters will equip him well" for the role.