USA Gymnastics confirmed they had "unanimously" chosen Perry, a former vice-president of business development at Learfield Communications, for the position.

She is due to start in the role on December 1.

Perry, whose main experience is in sports marketing and sales, will be responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation, including involving the day-to-day operations of the business to include safety initiatives, athlete and competitive programmes, membership and staffing.

She will also be tasked with overseeing marketing, event operations, communications and revenue generation at the under-fire governing body.

"I am thrilled to join USA Gymnastics and I look forward to creating a culture of empowerment that encourages our athletes, our members, our families and our staff to have a strong voice as we move this incredible organisation to heightened levels of achievement," said Perry.

"As a lifelong fan of the sport, I will be relentless in our pursuit of athlete safety, collaborative with our board, constituents and corporate partners, and supportive of our members, parents and staff on our journey to making USA Gymnastics the pinnacle of success."

Perry, the first female to be appointed to the role for nearly 20 years, joins USA Gymnastics at a troubled time for the governing body following claims they did not fully report allegations of sexual misconduct made by female team members.

Several former members of the American women's team made allegations last year of sexual abuse against ex-team doctor Larry Nassar.

These included Jessica Howard, the US national rhythmic gymnastics champion from 1999 to 2001, and Jeanette Antolin, a Pan American Games silver medallist, who spoke about the alleged abuse on the CBS 60 Minutes programme in February.

Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist Dominique Moceanu and Sydney 2000 bronze medallist Jamie Dantzscher joined Howard in testifying to a Senate Committee in Washington D.C, with the aim of protecting young athletes from abuse in March.

Dantzscher also filed a lawsuit against Nassar in California last September as "Jane Doe", where Penny is a co-defendant.

London 2012 Olympic gold medallist McKayla Maroney became the latest to speak out against Nassar last month.

Nassar has pleaded guilty to Federal child pornography charges and is due to be sentenced on December 7.

It is also reported he still faces 33 charges of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.

The controversy led to an independent review, commissioned by USA Gymnastics and conducted by Deborah Daniels, a former Federal prosecutor, who spent a significant portion of her career prosecuting child sexual offenders, of the organisation's methods.

USA Gymnastics approved a new Safe Sport Policy as a result of the recommendations made by the review.

Toby Stark, who previously directed a child advocacy programme, was recently appointed as director of safe sport.

"We are fortunate to have someone as capable and energetic as Kerry step into this leadership role," Paul Parilla, chairman of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, said. 

"Her passion for the sport, commitment to athlete safety, and track record of motivating teams to succeed will help guide our vision for the future."