Mr Hone will step down having overseen the successful transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mr Hone played a key role in striking deals for the Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centres so that all eight permanent venues have their long-term future secured – a feat no recent Olympic host city has achieved.

Boris Johnson, London Legacy Development Corporation Chairman and Mayor of London, said: "Dennis has played a huge role not just in getting London ready for the Games but for ensuring that we in London have the best and most advanced economic legacy - especially in east London - of any Olympic city in recent memory.

"He can take much of the credit for the recent highly successful reopening of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and we wish him well in his new job."

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive, said: “With the opening of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park it is the right time to bring my part in a wonderful eight-year journey to a close and to take on a new challenge. It is not the end of the Olympic legacy story, though, and I know I leave behind an excellent team that will deliver on our regeneration promises for east London.

“I’m excited to be joining Mace as Group Finance Director, helping to build sustainable communities and contributing to its continued success.”

The recruitment process for a new chief executive is underway and the Legacy Corporation hopes to make an appointment by early summer.