What is the name of the Death Star commander in Episode IV?

The story behind the answer

In A New Hope, the Death Star is run by the Empire’s regional governor with ultimate authority on the station—he orders Alderaan’s destruction and even directs Darth Vader. Director Orson Krennic is the ambitious engineer-administrator from Rogue One who oversees the battle station’s construction but is gone by Episode IV. Admiral Motti appears on the Death Star bridge (and gets Force-choked by Vader) yet remains a subordinate line officer. Grand Admiral Thrawn never appears in the film and operates in a different era.

Context: Portrayed by Peter Cushing, this icy strategist embodies the “Tarkin Doctrine”: ruling through fear of overwhelming force. His rank, Grand Moff, denotes a governor of multiple sectors, showing that political authority, not just military rank, sat at the heart of the Empire’s superweapon.