The expected appointment of Jon Boutcher as interim PSNI chief constable will come as a surprise to some.
He previously applied for the job in 2019 but was unsuccessful.
Although his name was linked to the post over the past week, some would not have had him down as a potential candidate given his current role as head of Operation Kenova.
Questions had been raised as to whether he would be willing to give up the relatively comfortable position to lead the crisis-hit PSNI and the political scrutiny that comes with it.
Established in 2016 to investigate the activities of notorious British agent Stakeknife, Operation Kenova has since taken on other major investigations linked to the Troubles.
These include carrying out a review of dozens of murders carried out by the notorious Glenanne Gang.
The loyalist gang, which included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF, is thought to have been responsible for around 120 murders across mid-Ulster in the 1970s.
The investigation team is also involved in looking at the killing of Jean Smyth-Campbell in west Belfast in 1972 and an IRA bomb attack that claimed the lives of three RUC members in 1982 in Co Armagh.
Although generally regarded as personable, and accessible, by relatives of people killed during the Troubles, it remains to be seen if any of Mr Boutcher’s current investigations will produce anything of substance.
A report into Stakeknife is expected to be made public in the near future.
For some, the forthcoming report was being viewed as a defining moment for Mr Boutcher – his ability to provide grieving relatives with the truth being tested.
Questions will inevitably be raised about the potential for a conflict of interest in his new role.
Several of the current Operation Kenova investigations focus on potential collusion and the role of state actors, including the police.
It can be argued that much of Mr Boutcher’s popularity is down to his ability to distance himself from the state and its actions.
If his interim appointment goes ahead, it will become more difficult for him to do that.
Not only will he be taking over a force in disarray, still reeling from several major data breaches and other controversies, he will also inherit the PSNIs historical baggage.
No doubt he will assess whether the good will he has built up with nationalists, through his Operation Kenova work in recent years, will be damaged by taking on the PSNI role.
For the first time the senior police officer will be pitched into a delicate balancing act between the traditional political factions.
He will need all his powers of diplomacy to avoid the controversy and isolation that ultimately forced Simon Byrne from the chief’s job last month.
It is not unrealistic to assume that Mr Boutcher will want the job permanently.
While details of the interim appointment have yet to be finalised, the potential impact for Operation Kenova remains to be seen.
He is set to take over a policing structure that continues to have a strained relationship with the nationalist community.
Less than one-third of PSNI officers are drawn from people from a Catholic background.
Just last month leading respected Catholic priest Fr Tim Bartlett spoke publicly about his lack of trust in the PSNI.
Arguably, the force has never enjoyed the full backing of the majority of nationalists.
Several recent Police Ombudsman reports confirming ”collusive behaviour” relating to the RUC have done little to alter nationalist attitudes.
Concerns have also been raised about the PSNI’s attitude to disclosure at legacy inquests.
How Mr Boutcher intends to deal with some of the vexed issues he will immediately face is unknown.
How his approach will be received within sections of the PSNI is another matter entirely.