Debbie Bestwick will be stepping down from her role as Team17 CEO once a successor is found.

The announcement said that the search for her replacement has started, with the company considering both internal and external candidates. After stepping down from her CEO role, Bestwick will remain at the company in a non-executive role, remaining at Team17’s board to provide “mentorship, support and guidance.”

“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 commented.

“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.”

Bestwick has been leading Team17 since 1986, four years after she co-founded the company following the merger of publisher 17-Bit Software (which she co-led) and developer Team 7.