Mr Christie has worked for the Otago Chamber of Commerce for 21 years and has been its Chief Executive since July 1995.
He was closely involved with the development of Dunedin's economic development strategy and has a key role in projects such as Project Shanghai and China.
Chamber chairwoman Ali Copeman said: "This is a massive loss for the Chamber, but a massive gain for the city. With his passion and economic development knowledge, having John lead Enterprise Dunedin can only be good for the city."
Enterprise Dunedin is the new agency responsible for the economic development and marketing of the city. It brings together the Dunedin City Council's Economic Development Unit (EDU), i-SITE and Tourism Dunedin.
Mr Christie will take up the position in late October.
