The ECB chief executive David Collier has agreed to become the Club Cricket Conference's president for 2015, the centenary year.
The CCC elected Paul Hooper as president for this year at the annual general meeting and announced that Collier, 58, would succeed the Addiscombe CC stalwart next March.
In his cricketing days Collier played for three clubs and represented England Universities while a student at Loughborough before starting his career as a cricket administrator. The CCC chairman Alf Langley said he would be the ideal person to mark such a significant landmark in the organisation's history.
Langley said: "We are very pleased that David has accepted our invitation, as he has always been an enthusiastic supporter and champion of recreational cricket. His leadership has driven changes for the better, and we will always remember that club cricket benefited from ECB help in the difficult times of the past year or so, when flooding caused havoc to so many clubs. I doubt if the bond between professional and recreational cricket has ever been stronger."
Collier said: "It is a real honour to be invited to be the president in centenary year. The CCC has a proud history and has played a major role in sustaining and enhancing club cricket."
Collier, appointed ECB chief executive in 2004, started his administration career as assistant secretary at Essex before his appointment as chief executive of Gloucestershire CCC (1983-86), Leicestershire CCC (1996-99) and Nottinghamshire (1999-2004). He moved into commerce directorship in the United States air transport industry before returning to cricket.
Collier captained England Universities at two sports - cricket and hockey - playing club cricket for Colchester & East Essex, Loughborough Town and Clarendon Park. His son Mark, a former school team-mate of Stuart Broad, played for Egerton Park.