successor

successor
suc‧ces‧sor AC /səkˈsesə $ -ər/ noun [countable]1. someone who takes a job or position previously held by someone else ⇨ predecessor:
    His successor died after only 15 months in office.
    I’m sure she will be a worthy successor (=someone who is very good and deserves to be someone’s successor).
    successor to
    her successor to the post
    successor as
    Sloan will be Barrett’s successor as treasurer.
2. formal a machine, system etc that exists after another one in a process of development:
    the transistor’s successor, the microchip
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ a worthy successor (=someone who is good and deserves to be someone's successor) He is proving to be a worthy successor to his father in the business.
   ▪ a possible/potential successor He had been tipped as a possible successor to the president.
   ▪ a likely successor Who is his most likely successor as Director of the BBC World Service?
   ▪ a natural successor Murray was viewed as the natural successor to Henman as Britain's top player.
   ▪ an obvious successor He doesn't have an obvious successor as leader.
   ▪ somebody's immediate successor (=the person who has their job or position next) Valentinian's immediate successor, Petronius Maximus, was killed in 455.
■ verbs
   ▪ choose/appoint a successor The Board met to choose his successor.
   ▪ find a successor Non-executive director John Evans will act as chairman until a permanent successor is found.
   ▪ elect a successor Ghanaians went to the polls to elect President Rawlings's successor.
   ▪ name a successor (=tell people who the successor will be) The company is expected to name a successor for Corbett in May.
   ▪ be tipped as somebody's successor (=be said to be a possible or likely successor) When Tizard was about to retire as chairman, Cockcroft was tipped as his successor.