He said that he had been very proud to be involved with the project and that "hopefully the work we have done will help to preserve this building for another 700 years".

BBC: Salford's Ordsall Hall reveals result of ?6.5m facelift

Ahead of its announcement, the White House has said that, over the last four years, Mr Brennan has worked closely with the president and has been involved with "virtually all major national security issues and will be able to hit the ground running at the CIA", according to Politico.

BBC: Profile: John Brennan

"Every CEO, CFO and legal counsel in America who is involved with a company that has been backdating stock options ought to be quaking at the moment, " says Robert Howell, a finance professor at Dartmouth.

FORBES: Comverse CFO Settles Backdating Charges

One doctor who has been involved with clinical studies of both Erbitux and Avastin says there is reason to be doubtful.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Donna Simms said she wasn't excited about the decision because she's been involved in court proceedings with her ex-husband for three decades and there may be more legal fights.

WSJ: Conn. court: Lawyers can't be sued for fraud