Paul Amadi will step down from his position as the chair of the Institute of Fundraising early, after attempting to juggle that role and lead the NSPCC’s fundraising department for a year.

Following his winning of the NSPCC’s director of fundraising job in January this year, Amadi had originally intended to resign from the Institute’s chair position, which he had held for a year and a half by that point, in the summer. However, Lindsay Boswell’s subsequent announcement of his own departure as chief executive of the Institute delayed Amadi’s move.

After overseeing Amanda McLean’s arrival as the new chief executive in November, Amadi will step down as chair effective at the end of the year.

Amadi, who was due to end his term as chair in July 2011, said his timing was right. “I am confident that now is a good time for me to stand down from that role.  I know that the Institute will continue to flourish under our new chief executive and I look forward to watching it go from strength to strength,” he said.

That new chief executive, Amanda McLean, said that the Institute will be open in its recruitment of a replacement for Amadi, and that it would not rule out any applicants coming from similarly large or time-consuming roles.

“We’re looking for a fundraising professional with a strong fundraising credentials and a commitment to the Institute,” she said, adding that the recruitment process will consider the personal and professional position of the applicants.

The responsibilities of the vice chair, however, will be increased to help lighten some of the load of the chair position.

Recruitment, said McLean, will be full, open and transparent and shall begin in January with a view to appointing someone in the spring in time for them to get to understand the Institute and build relationships, if need be.

Alan Gosschalk, vice chair, will take on the acting chair position until next July, after which point the new chair will be expected to take up the post.