Kathleen O'Toole, the former head of the Garda Inspectorate, is to lead the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.
Ms O'Toole was also the first female police commissioner of Boston and is the Chief of Police for the Seattle Police Department in the US.
In 2006 Ms O'Toole was appointed to the Garda Inspectorate, a role she held until 2012.
She was also a member of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, the Patten Commission, which was established in 1998 to inquire into policing in Northern Ireland.
She is from Pittsfield in Massachusetts, and served as a police officer in Boston from 1979 to 1986.
In a statement, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said she received Government agreement for the nomination.
The statement said the commission will undertake a comprehensive examination of all aspects of policing, including all functions currently carried out by An Garda Síochána.
It added that Ms Fitzgerald is finalising the terms of reference following consultations and expects to bring them to Cabinet shortly.
In the Dáil this afternoon, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Ms O'Toole "is an outstanding person of very great experience, with a deep understanding of the situation which applies here in Ireland".
