The appointment of the New Zealander was announced by International Association of Athletics Association (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe at the SportAccord Convention here today.

The AIU officially began operating on Monday (April 3). 

Howman, a barrister, was director general of WADA for 13 years before stepping down in 2016.  

The AIU has been set-up in response to the corruption scandal involving former IAAF President Lamine Diack, allegedly involved in a scheme to blackmail Russian athletes to avoid suspension following positive drugs tests. 

It is claimed the AIU will be an independent organisation with responsibility for the management of all aspects of the anti-doping programme for international-level athletes and support personnel, as well as for the management of all other integrity-related programmes.

Howman was in charge at WADA when they launched an Independent Commission, chaired by its former chairman Richard Pound, which discovered evidence of state-supported doping in Russian athletics.

The revelation led to the suspension of Russia from the IAAF in November 2015.

The country missed last year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and are also set to be barred from this year's IAAF World Championships in London. 

"This is going to be a great role," Howman said. 

"Integrity is not about lists of rules to help athletes compete, it is a key principle that must be engrained in the way athletes live their lives and compete."

Besides WADA, Howman has held sports governance positions in New Zealand, including chair of the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency and a member of the Sport New Zealand Board.

"The IAAF is addressing this differently to any other International Sports Federation," said Howman.

"It is taking a brave, bold stance by looking at the total package of integrity from the athletes' point of view. 

"It is rarely one thing that fails but multiple things that come together to create a situation where ethical breaches occur. 

"Putting the athlete at the centre of the structures and creating an environment where they can know and share information is critical to putting them in full control of their performances and their actions."

The Board of the AIU has a critical governance role rather than a management function, similar in style to that of a corporate board. 

It is responsible for approving and reviewing the strategy, policies and plans for the Unit and for appointing and monitoring the performance of the head of AIU who is in charge of its day to day operations.

The head of the AIU is expected to be announced next month at the end of a recruitment process which is currently in its final stages. 

"The Athletics Integrity Unit is all about the athlete," said Coe. 

"It is our responsibility to create the right framework for everyone to succeed.

"I want it to support athletes throughout their careers to make the right decisions and the right choices. 

"I am, therefore, delighted that we have attracted someone of the calibre and experience of David Howman as chairperson, as we set out to create a place where athletes can understand the rules and gain knowledge, confidence and experience."

Thomas Capdevielle has taken on his new duties as head of testing and deputy head AIU and will also act as interim head of the AIU until the position is permanently filled. 

A new AIU website has also been launched and can be found by clicking here. 

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