The board of London & Partners has today announced that Gordon Innes has decided to move on as the chief executive of the company.

Innes joined London & Partners in 2011, shortly after the company was formed, following the merger of VisitLondon, ThinkLondon and StudyLondon.

He will leave the company at the end of this week, having served five years in the post, to take up a private sector role in New York City.

The process to appoint a new chief executive is underway and being led by London & Partners’ chairman, and deputy mayor of London for Business and Enterprise, Rajesh Agrawal.

It will include a global search to be carried out by Odgers Berndtson.

In the interim, the role of chief executive will be filled by Andrew Cooke, the company’s chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.

Agrawal said: “Gordon Innes has been instrumental in raising the reputation of London as a leading destination for inward investment, tourism, higher education and culture, and I wish him well for his next challenge.

“The board of London & Partners will now work diligently to appoint a successor and we will make a further announcement in due course.”

London & Partners has also played a key role in developing iconic events and campaigns for the city such as: RideLondon, London Technology Week and London’s Autumn Cultural Season.

Innes commented: “It has been an honour to serve London as the Chief Executive of London & Partners and I am enormously proud of the company’s success and extraordinary achievements.

“London is the most open, outward looking and welcoming city on earth.

“As a Londoner, married to a New Yorker, I will be enormously sad to leave.

“But I do so confident for London’s continued, global success.