Waitrose managing director Mark Price will leave the retailer next year, the John Lewis Partnership said.
Mr Price, who is also deputy chairman of the partnership, will step down on April 3 2016.
It has been reported that Mr Price is being lined up to become the interim chairman of Channel 4 when the incumbent Lord Burns ends his term in January.
Waitrose's retail director Rob Collins has been appointed to take over as managing director of the supermarket when Mr Price steps down.
Mr Collins has worked for 22 years at the partnership in a variety of senior roles. He worked at the group's department chain John Lewis, and later in 2007 helped set up Waitrose's online business.
Mr Collins was promoted to Waitrose retail director in 2012.
John Lewis Partnership chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield said Mr Price had been an "outstanding success" at Waitrose.
Sir Charlie added: "Mark is pursuing new opportunities, but he will remain a passionate advocate of the partnership and its ownership model.
"He has had a long and distinguished career with the partnership and his leadership of Waitrose has seen outstanding success.
"As a member of the partnership board for 11 years and deputy chairman since 2013, Mark has played a key role in steering the partnership and has been a valued and trusted colleague."
Sir Charlie said that Mr Collins's assured leadership skills would make him a success in his new role.
He said: "Rob Collins has been a central figure in Waitrose's management team for a number of years and his strong leadership skills and operational success have ensured that he has been a central part of the board's thinking on succession planning for some time. I'm confident that he will make the step up to the managing director role quickly and effectively."
Mr Price became managing director of Waitrose in 2007, and over that time the supermarket's annual gross sales grew 65% to £6.5 billion to March of this year.
The business expanded from 183 outlets predominantly in the south of England to 380 stores across the UK during that period.
Mr Price also used celebrity chefs such as Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal to help market the business.
Waitrose market share was 4% in the spring of 2007, and now stands at 5.2%.
Mr Price's other business interests include a role as deputy chairman of Channel 4.
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