Simon Juden, one of the UK's leading technical architects, has been elected chairman of the Professional Contractors Group - the body that represents freelancers.

Dr Juden is a Cambridge mathematics graduate who has been freelance since 1997, supplying expert services to a range of blue-chip clients as well as writing and broadcasting on freelancing and the IT sector.

"PCG will be at the heart of the freelance community, supporting and nurturing its members through all parts of the freelance life cycle, as well as offering commercial and peer support, and encouraging new ways of working," he said.

Simon Juden joined PCG in its first year, and for the past year served as director with overall responsibility for coordinating PCG's legal work on IR35, S660A and other case law. He wrote PCG's Guide to IR35 and Guide to S660A, led the PCG negotiating team that obtained clarity from the Inland Revenue on a variety of IR35 status factors, directed meetings with DTI regarding the Agency Regulations and contact with the Home Office on the Security Regulations. Dr Juden played a key role in the PCG team that agreed an industry standard contract with the agency body, ATSCo.

Speaking after his election by members of PCG's Consultative Council, he said, "My vision is that as the trade association for freelancers, PCG will represent the voice of freelancers, working with the Government and with industry to protect and promote freelancing and freelancers, on a local, national and European level."

Former chairman Simon Griffiths will be deputy chair, and Richard Robson and Ian Durrant will continue to serve on the board. Neil Graham, a partner at Berg Kaprow Lewis LLP, has agreed to serve as finance director, and two other new directors, Chris Woollacott and Julie Stewart, join the board.