Former finance minister Mathias Cormann has been chosen as the new secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Mr Cormann announced last July that he would resign from the Australian parliament before the end of the year. He formalised his resignation in November.
The 50-year-old will take up his new role in June, replacing Mexico’s Angel Gurría and becoming the first person from the Asia-Pacific region to lead the OECD.
Mr Cormann, who was Australia's longest-serving finance minister, narrowly beat former EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom for the top job after eight other candidates had been eliminated from contention.
Born in Belgium, Mr Cormann studied law in his home country, before migrating to Australia in the 1990s and becoming a factional powerbroker in the Liberal Party. He was instrumental in Prime Minister Scott Morrison's rise to power.
But his path to the top of the OECD wasn't without it's obstacles, with Greens leader Adam Bandt openly campaigning against Mr Cormann because of his record on climate change.
