Shaun Harvey will step down as the Football League’s chief executive at the end of the season after five and a half years in the role.
Harvey has worked for 25 consecutive years in professional football, all but two of which have been with clubs or the league itself.
He said in a statement: “Having joined the EFL as CEO in October 2013, I am proud of what we have achieved since then, in what have not always been easy circumstances.
“After discussions with the board, we decided that the time is right for the EFL to now move in a different direction having concluded a number of commercial contracts that leave the league in a stable position.
“I am happy to remain as CEO until after the play-offs, in order to conclude a number of outstanding matters that we are currently dealing with, after which I will move on and hopefully make a positive difference elsewhere.”
The interim EFL chair, Debbie Jevans, paid tribute to Harvey. “The EFL is in a strong position with a growing fan base throughout the world and Shaun deserves a lot of credit for this,” she said. “Shaun and the board have agreed that the time is now right for a change of leadership and a new direction. We are pleased that he has agreed to stay on until the end of the season.”