Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie has been appointed as the director of Enterprise Dunedin.

Christie was one of 37 people who applied for the role.

It was created with the establishment of Enterprise Dunedin - an amalgamation of Tourism Dunedin and the Dunedin City Council's economic development unit.

Christie has spent 21 years working for the Otago Chamber of Commerce, and staff are sad to see him go.

But he's being heralded as the best person to lead Dunedin's business and tourism growth.

Christie will take up his new role in late October.

He's been chief executive of the chamber since 1995.