Lenny Comma has announced his plans to step down as chairman and chief executive officer for Jack in the Box. Although no exact time frame was provided, the quick-service restaurant chain’s board of directors has begun a search to find Comma’s replacement.

The chain’s leadership hopes to identify a successor and have Comma work with this person to ensure a smooth transition, per a company release. The search for a new Jack in the Box CEO is expected to include both internal and external candidates.

Comma spent 18 years with Jack in the Box, including 6 as the restaurant chain’s CEO. Reflecting on his tenure, Comma said, “Since 2014, we’ve sold Qdoba, finished our evolution to an asset-light brand by completing our refranchising efforts, gone through a rigorous strategic alternatives process, completed a very complex $1.3 billion securitization transaction, dramatically strengthened our operations leadership bench, and recently concluded our ninth straight year of system same-store sales growth.”