Silvester will co-ordinate the IoD's campaigns across public and regulatory policy, working alongside head of media relations Edwin Morgan. Silvester and Morgan will work under Jimmy McLoughlin, the institute's deputy director of policy.
At the TaxPayers' Alliance Silvester has scrutinised the inner workings of government and held politicians to account for their spending decisions and has appeared regular in the print media and on national television - leading to him making PRWeek's 30 Under 30 list of the profession's brightest young stars, published in the June edition of the magazine.
Before joining the TaxPayers' Alliance in April 2014, he held the role of senior parliamentary affairs officer at the IoD.
Simon Walker, director general of the IoD, said: "With a new government elected and the crucial EU referendum on the horizon, the IoD will be campaigning for a competitive business environment that encourages start-ups, and helps businesses large and small to grow, take on staff, and continue powering the economy."
Silvester said: "I’ve always enjoyed being at the forefront of campaigns, and this is a thrilling time to be joining the IoD while the UK leads the world in entrepreneurial and digital revolutions. The IoD has been creating some of the most innovative policy campaigns for some time now and I am looking to build on that work and ensure that the conditions are right for exciting British businesses of all sizes to prosper in the 21st century."