James Crosby appointed chairman of Misys

Sir James Crosby, who produced a report highly critical of the government's plans to introduce ID cards, has been been appointed to chairman-designate of the board of Misys, the banking and health software company.

Crosby, a trusted insider in Downing Street, also published a report late last year on how to get mortgage lending going again.

Crosby will succeed Sir Dominic Cadbury in summer 2009. He is currently a director of ITV  and Compass Group, deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority and a trustee of Cancer Research (UK). He quit as CEO of the HBOS banking group three years ago, after almost 30 years in fund management, insurance and banking.