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RIBA president Jane Duncan insisted departing chief executive Harry Rich was not the victim of a coup but left of his own volition.

She said his resignation was handled in a 鈥渧ery civilised鈥� and 鈥済entle鈥� manner, while acknowledging that it had happened very quickly.

Discussions between Rich, Duncan and other members of the RIBA Board started last weekend, straight after Rich returned from two weeks鈥� holiday. 鈥淭his was initiated by Harry, of course,鈥� said Duncan.

The public announcement was made on Friday afternoon and he leaves at the end of the month.

Rich will be replaced initially by the interim director of finance & operations, Alan Vallance who stood in for him during his holiday.

A recruitment process for a permanent successor is unlikely to be started until after the next Board meeting on February 24 鈥� or possibly even the next meeting of the much larger Council on March 11.

Duncan described Vallance as a 鈥渇antastic guy鈥�, while fellow Board member Peter Oborn said: 鈥淗e鈥檚 been very good. He seems to understand the organisation pretty well.鈥�

Oborn insisted Rich鈥檚 departure was 鈥渢otally unconnected鈥� to two reported attempts by elected officials to force him out some years ago.

Rich, who has been in post six years and has been an at times divisive figure, issued a statement saying it 鈥渇eels like a good moment to hand over鈥�. The institute is about to embark on a new five-year strategy which will take it in a much more member-focused direction.

Rich has been 鈥渒ey鈥� in shaping both the previous and the future strategy, said Duncan.

鈥淏eing chief  executive is a difficult position because you can鈥檛 please all the people all the time, but he鈥檚 taken us through a recession which is not an easy thing to do,鈥� she said.

鈥淗e has a lovely legacy which includes a beautiful new gallery. He鈥檚 definitely going to stay as a friend of the institute because he鈥檚 very passionate about architecture. He鈥檚 a very nice man.鈥�

She added it was not uncommon for chief executives to leave quickly once they had decided to go. Six years was also quite a long time for a chief executive to remain in post.

Rich, who is approaching 60 and who is believed to have earnt between 拢160,000 and 拢170,000 a year, had 鈥渕ade his mark鈥� on the institute, said Oborn.

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a very robust institute and we have a robust strategy so I have no doubt whatsoever that we鈥檒l find an appropriate successor who will drive the strategy forward.鈥�

Ben Derbyshire, an RIBA councillor and managing partner at HTA Design, issued a on Friday welcoming Rich鈥檚 departure, saying it was 鈥渢ime for a change鈥�.

鈥淗arry鈥檚 tenure as chief executive coincided with a period of discontinuity in the programmes and priorities of successive presidents at the RIBA and that created problems for the leadership at the institute,鈥� said Derbyshire.

鈥淗e concentrated therefore on what he knew best and did well; an outreach programme that raised the profile of architecture, promoting the brand of the profession.鈥�

Derbyshire, who was elected to Council in 2014 with John Assael on a joint ticket of 鈥渞ecovering the status of architects鈥�, wrote to his 56 fellow Council members last year suggesting it was time for members to re-take the institute and regain the voice of the profession from the executive.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Harry was particularly comfortable with this message,鈥� said Derbyshire. He denied any involvement in Rich鈥檚 departure but said he had already written to Duncan offering his support 鈥渋n any way I can鈥�.