Rolande Anderson, a director general at the Office for National Statistics, has been appointed the director general for the Office of the Third Sector and the Social Exclusion Taskforce.

Prior to her role as director general for Transformation and Corporate Services at the Office for National Statistics, Anderson was regional director of the Government Office for the south east, where she worked with the third sector on issues from the Compact to housing and community cohesion.

She has had a varied career in Government; previous posts have included leading on innovation and skills in DTI, regional funding and a secondment to Tesco.

Angela Smith, minister for the Third Sector and Social Exclusion, said: "We are delighted to appoint Rolande as the new Director-General of the Office of the Third Sector and the Social Exclusion Taskforce.

"She brings a vast amount of experience and expertise, and I look forward to working with her to continue our work in supporting the third sector and tackling social exclusion."

Rolande Anderson said: "I have seen at first hand the huge contribution the third sector makes through its work in regional and local partnerships, and the understanding it brings of the impact of policies on people, particularly the most vulnerable.

"As a champion of diversity throughout my career in Government, I have also valued the expert help of the sector on issues such as disability awareness and overcoming cultural barriers."

Rolande Anderson is a non-executive director of Genesis Housing Group, an associate of Newham College Cambridge and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

She will replace Campbell Robb, who is leaving at the end of the year to become chief executive of Shelter.

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