Debbie Bestwick MBE is stepping down as the chief exec of UK indie publisher Team17.
The news was announced to investors in a post which said that a search for her replacement is still underway. Bestwick will stay on as CEO until a successor is found.
Bestwick co-founded Team17 back in 1990, serving as its commercial director for 19 years. In 2009, she was promoted to joint CEO before becoming CEO the following year. In 2018, she became the CEO of the Team17 Group ahead of the company conducting its IPO that year.
Bestwick received her MBE in 2016 for her services to the games industry.
"This has probably been the hardest decision I've made, but I wouldn't have made it if I wasn't confident in the succession plans and the leadership team's ability to deliver the clear and focused strategy regarding our collective goals and ambitions," Bestwick said.
"Ultimately, I want to spend more time with my children who have made sacrifices many times during my career and specifically to spend more time with my youngest before he goes to university.
"With Team17 now unrecognisable compared to those early days, and with our fantastic senior team working seamlessly across the business and our growth strategy firmly in place, now is the time to focus on the next generation.
"The future looks extremely bright for the Group, and I look forward to continuing to support the business to find my successor and then in a new capacity as a Non-Executive Director when that time arrives."
Team17 non-exec chairman Chris Bell added: "I would like to personally thank Debbie for her absolute devotion to Team17 and know that without her almost limitless enthusiasm for the business, we simply would not be where we are today. We all collectively wish her the very best in all her future endeavours and look forward to continuing to benefit from her unrivalled knowledge when she joins the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
"We the Board and Debbie are actively engaged in a search process to find a new Chief Executive Officer and will update our shareholders at the appropriate time. Knowing Debbie so well it will be 'business-as-normal' and she will be 100 per cent focused on her CEO duties right through."
