Change is coming to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as Chief Executive Alan Vallance is stepping down in a surprise move announced by the organization on Wednesday.

RIBA shared that Vallance will be departing to helm the influential 110-year-old Chartered Insurance Institute beginning in July. No immediate successor has been named. 

The outgoing chief said now was “the right time for the RIBA and for myself to take this step,” and that he was “proud of our many collective achievements during my time at the helm.” 

Vallance first stepped into the role in 2016 and has guided the organization through polarizing political times and the inevitable pandemic, which included the recent tough decisions to get RIBA’s financial house in order by shedding staff and selling its former 77 Portland Place offices. 

Vallance’s tenure saw the launches of a host of new initiatives and important strategic partnerships, the development of the 2030 Climate Challenge, and several scholarship and grant programs. It was not without controversy, however, as debates on salary and institutional transparency came to the fore very publicly. The organization also recently lost its first-ever Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Marsha Ramroop, and in July of last year, saw President Alan Jones resign following a “serious incident” that confirmed a rumored feud between the two executives.

Vallance previously served as RIBA’s Interim Director of Finance in 2015. Former President Ben Derbyshires said that he “leaves the RIBA at the right time to allow a cultural champion to take over as CEO of a leaner, more focused and relevant RIBA that would not have been possible without the foundations he helped set down.” 

Chair of the RIBA Board of Trustees, Jack Pringle, said: “From Brexit to the Covid pandemic, Alan has helped the organisation and our members navigate some incredibly challenging operating conditions,” adding that the future of the organization was still bright in his estimation. “This is an exciting time of change for the RIBA. We have the foundations in place for a much more effective organisation, and we look forward to recruiting Alan’s successor to help us further embed our transformation and deliver on our ambitious goals.”