He replaces his compatriot Essar Gabriel, the general secretary who stood-down last October. 

Gracia, a vice-president of European Athletics, will be based at the IAAF headquarters in Monte Carlo and will help support the day-to-day operations of the world governing body.

It comes as President Sebastian Coe begins a "a comprehensive review of the organisational structure of the IAAF" following the revelations that have emerged in recent weeks, including claims that former President Lamine Diack and other high-ranking officials were involved in a blackmail plot in which they accepted bribes to cover-up doping failures.

A shortlist of international candidates is currently being drawn-up with it hoped that a full-time appointment will be made by the middle of the year, a statement revealed.

“Jean Gracia, who is a former general secretary of the French Federation and a current vice-president of European Athletics, brings vast experience and will assist the continued smooth running of the association in the interim," said Coe.

"He will act as the focal point for all our Member Federations and partners, and support me with work involving the Executive Board and Council.”

Calls for a new chief executive position have grown in recent weeks following the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission report highlighting a deficiency in communication between the IAAF President and the Council.

The report blamed the Council for not better scrutinising Diack and other directors, and for not showing more curiosity as to what was going on.

Gabriel, who himself succeeded another Frenchman in Pierre Weiss in 2011, was barely mentioned in the WADA report and was widely perceived as having little influence over the inner workings.

Gracia and then the eventual chief executive will be expected to play a far more prominent role, including liaising between the President and the Council. 

Gracia, whose business experience includes the areas of engineering and information technology, has served a variety of roles within European Athletics and the French Athletics Federation.

The 60-year-old finished runner-up behind Svein Arne Hansen in April's race for the European Athletics Presidency, receiving 19 votes to Hansen's 26.

He is also general secretary of the Mediterranean Athletics Union and served on the IAAF Competition, Development and Masters Commissions from 2007 to 2015.

A former sprinter on the French national team, he boasts a 100 metres personal best of 10.61sec.