The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has appointed Matthew Gould as its director general for digital and media.
Gould previously served as Britain’s ambassador to Israel and launched the UK Israel tech hub.
He will lead the department’s digital and media policy brief and work to improve the public’s digital skills and technology.
His role also includes working on improving connectivity and infrastructure, reducing the skills gap across the country and building digital ecosystems.
Gould hopes the new role will enable Britain “to be the safest place to do business and go online”.
He said: “If we want the UK to prosper, we need to make sure we have world-class connectivity.
“If we want an inclusive society, we need to tackle digital exclusion and make sure everyone has the digital skills they need.
“I’m determined to tackle these challenges to help make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital company.”