Fiona Reynolds is stepping down as director-general of the National Trust after 11 years to take up the role of master of Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge.

She starts her new job in September 2013 and plans to write a book about her experiences at the charity in the meantime. One of Reynolds’ most radical moves was to oversee a restructure of the trust’s governance, moving from a 52-member council to a 12-member board of trustees.

The front-runner to replace Reynolds is Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage.