Powell leaves his role as first-team coach at Leicester to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract at The Valley, much to the delight of Addicks chairman Michael Slater.
"We spoke to a number of strong candidates as part of the recruitment process. As soon as we met Chris, it was clear he was our stand-out candidate and the one we wanted to be our new manager," he told the club's official website.
"He has natural leadership ability and his passion for the club, together with his football knowledge and ideas for the future, are hugely impressive.
"We firmly believe Chris is the right man to take the club forward on the pitch and we're thrilled to have got him. We think the fans will be, too.
"I'd like to thank Leicester for their co-operation in releasing Chris from his coaching role to take on his position with us. With new owners and a fresh and dynamic manager in place, our goal now is promotion to the Championship."
Source: PA
Source: PA