London - The former head of French operations of collapsed US investment bank Lehman Brothers was Friday named the new chief executive of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Xavier Rolet, 49, will join the board of the LSE next month and take over from Clara Furse, the current chief executive, in May.

During her eight years in the job, Furse fended off a number of takeover attempts for the exchange, including from Deutsche Boerse and Nasdaq of the US.

She also oversaw the public listing of the LSE and its expansion through mergers, such as with Borsa Italiana.

Furse, a Canadian born to Dutch parents, was the first woman to lead the LSE in its 208-year history.

Rolet spent eight years at Lehman Brothers, becoming chief executive of its French business in 2007. He has close ties with the LSE through his time at Lehman, which acted as the exchange's corporate broker.

LSE chairman Chris Gibson-Smith said he was "delighted" with the appointment due to Rolet's knowledge of the exchange's business and its customers. (dpa)