John Fingleton, the chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading, will step down from his role this year after seven years at the helm of the organisation. Fingleton has not decided what kinds of opportunities he is seeking next, but said planned changes to the structure of the OFT meant it was a good time for someone new to take over. His replacement has not yet been named. Prior to his time at the OFT, Fingleton was chairman of the Irish Competition Authority and an academic economist at the London School of Economics and Trinity College Dublin. "Under John's vigorous leadership the OFT has taken on issues that really matter to consumers and the economy, across everything from bank charges and PPI to airport ownership, the construction industry and transparency of prices," said OFT chairman Philip Collins.