World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper is to step down in January when he will take up a new role as head of the NFL in Europe and the UK.
Gosper's nine-year spell as CEO of the sport's global governing body has seen sevens reintroduced into the Olympics and the delivery of the first World Cup staged in Asia: Japan 2019.
Chief operating officer Alan Gilpin will perform the role of interim CEO until Gosper's replacement is appointed.
"It's been a fantastic nine years. It has been an absolute privilege to have worked with so many talented and dedicated rugby people around the world," Gosper said.
"Rugby is a wonderful sport and World Rugby is a fantastic organisation, and therefore it was a very difficult decision to leave.
"But with a new ambitious strategic plan set to launch and the strong foundations in place to drive the sport forward beyond the pandemic, the time is right for me to begin a new challenge.
"I am proud of what we have achieved together as a rugby family. While I will miss working in the sport, my passion and enthusiasm for what rugby and its values mean to so many will never diminish."
