Berlin  - Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa has nominated Wolfgang Buechner, current editorial head of Spiegel Online, as the agency's new chief editor, the board of dpa announced Tuesday.

Buechner, 42, is to take over from outgoing Chief Editor Wilm Herlyn, who is retiring at the end of the year after 19 years at the helm of Germany's largest news agency.

The Chairman of the supervisory board, Karlheinz Roethemeier, welcomed the new chief editor, whom he described as "an extremely accomplished and experienced journalist" and an "expert on the new, digital media world."

"With him, there will be success in mastering the challenges arising from the imminent convergence of the media, to the benefit of dpa's customers," Roethemeier said.

Buechner has previously worked for Associated Press and Reuters news agencies, before becoming a senior editor at the daily Financial Times Deutschland. He joined Spiegel Online in 2001.

Buechner will take responsibility for a editorial staff operating throughout Germany and in 100 countries around the world, when he takes up his post no later than the start of
2010.

Alongside the agency's German service, he will oversee dpa's English, Spanish, Arabic and Turkish news operations. dpa