LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Swiss colonel Urs Lacotte was appointed director general of the IOC on Tuesday. He replaces Francois Carrard, who held the job part time since 1989.

The director general is head of the administrative staff at the IOC's headquarters in Lausanne. Under a restructuring by IOC president Jacques Rogge, the director general will be a full-time position.

Lacotte, 49, is on the general staff of the Swiss defense ministry. He has also held posts with the Swiss national Olympic committee and Asian-based Electrowatt Engineering.

"This will be a challenging and fulfilling role to which I trust I can bring an added value from my background in the worlds of sport, business and world affairs,'' Lacotte said.

Carrard, who is also Swiss, is a partner in a Lausanne law firm and chairman of several companies. He declined to take the job full time and will remain with the IOC as a senior adviser on legal matters.