McDonald (pictured) joined ARF in 2017, and during his time in charge of the organisation, he has focused on areas such as research, data science and membership expansion, and oversaw the 2018 acquisition of CIMM and the 2021 acquisition of MSI.

Other initiatives include the launch of ARF Wide, which was a scheme to support increasing the diversity of young entrants into the media, advertising, and marketing research and analytics industries.

McDonald will continue to serve in his current position until a new chief executive is appointed, the ARF said.

Mark Truss, chair of the ARF board of directors, said: “Scott’s successor will inherit an innovative, high-performing organisation, with an outstanding leadership team and staff.”

McDonald added: “It has been an honour and privilege to serve as president of the ARF, and I am proud of what we have accomplished.

“My retirement plans reflect my judgment that generational change is healthy for any organisation, especially one that witnesses so much technological and structural transformation.”