Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, has resigned as chairman of its board of trustees.
Transformed into a symbol of globalization, he founded the annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.
The Geneva-based World Economic Forum made the announcement on Monday, after revealing earlier this month that 87-year-old Schwab, who has been the face of the Davos meeting for decades, would step down, without giving a precise timeline.
"Following my recent announcement, and as I enter my 88th year, I have decided to resign from my position as Chairman and as a member of the Board of Trustees, effective immediately," Schwab said in a statement released by FEB.
The forum did not give a reason why he was resigning.
The FEB board said in the statement that it had accepted Schwab's resignation at an extraordinary meeting on April 20, with Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe serving as interim chairman while procedures for a new chairman began.
Schwab, born in Germany, founded the WEF in 1971 with the aim of creating a forum for policymakers and senior corporate executives to address major global issues.