Patrickson said of her decision: 'After 12 incredibly rewarding years with Active IQ, I am immensely proud of all that it has achieved. It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside such talented and dedicated colleagues, customers and partners.

'Together, we have navigated challenges, celebrated significant milestones, and built a lasting legacy of quality, innovation, collaboration and meaningful impact within and for the sector.'

A new managing director will not be appointed. Instead, the organisation will be led by the senior leadership team of Lisa Skelton, head of business development, and Lee Buck, head of employer product strategy. They will be supported by Jack Garner, head of business operations at The FA, who has recently been appointed as a trustee of NCFE, the parent company that acquired Active IQ in 2022.

Going forward, the focus will include creating market-leading qualifications that meet industry demand, alongside driving innovation in response to the challenges and opportunities across sport, active leisure and wellbeing.