Correct Answer: predecessor

Solution : The first option is the correct answer.

A predecessor is a person who held a job or office before the current holder. It refers to someone who occupied a particular position or role in the past, paving the way for the current individual in that role.

The meanings of the other options are as follows:

• Ancestor refers to a person from whom one is descended, usually more distant in the family line.
• Successor refers to a person who succeeds another in a position or title.
• Descendant refers to a person who is descended from a particular ancestor, usually more recent in the family line.

Therefore, the correct answer is predecessor.