Charles Gurassahas been named non-executive chairman of LoveFilmInternational. Gurassa is the non-executive chairmanof Virgin Mobile and also chairman of car hire business Worldwide Excellerated Leasing. In addition, he is non-executivedirector of Whitbread PLC and non-executive chairman of human resourcesconsultancy 7Days. He is a Trustee of the National Trust and Chairman ofNational Trust Enterprises.

Formerly, he was chiefexecutive of Thomson Travel Group and was also a senior manager at British Airways.

"The board is delighted tohave appointed a Chairman with such strong City credibility and the standing ofCharles, to position the group for future growth," said Simon Calver, chief executive of LoveFilm."We believe his chairmanship of Virgin Mobile and his knowledge ofinternational markets will help us accelerate the expansion of LoveFilm to become a leading pan-European brand andentertainment group."

Added Gurassa:"I am delighted to be joining this fast growing, innovative and international business.LoveFilm has rapidly established itself as the marketleader in its field, offering terrific choice and value for its customers. Itis pioneering the development of the next generation of content deliveryplatforms and is at the forefront of this rapidly changing sector. The companyhas a highly impressive and dynamic management team and has excellent potentialto further expand. I very much look forward to contributing to its futuresuccess."

London-based DVD rental and video on demand company LoveFilmrecently merged with Video Island.