Chief executive officer Jon Butterfield has stepped down from his role and from the board of recruitment, talent management and technology company the Rethink Group with immediate effect.

According to a company statement, chief financial officer Steve Wright has been appointed interim CEO. Andrew Lord, managing director of Rethink’s recruitment division, has been appointed chief operating officer. Both changes take effect immediately, the statement said.

Patrick Dundon, who served as the group’s finance director until November 2011, has been retained as interim director of finance, reporting to Wright.

The group has entered into a 12-month consultancy agreement with Butterfield “to ensure a smooth transition”, the statement said.

Wright could not be reached for comment this morning. A spokesman for the company told Recruiter that no search had yet taken place for Butterfield’s permanent successor. “I suspect a search will start but it has not started yet,” the spokesperson said, adding that Rethink’s trading statement was not due out “for a couple of months”.