King will continue to play a key role in the organisation in a new capacity, not yet announced.
“I’ve loved every second of this journey, the wins, the challenges, the people.
“I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made through Gumboot Friday, funding thousands of counselling sessions for young Kiwis.”
At times controversial, King’s comments last year about alcohol and mental illness drew criticism.
The Government last year committed $24 million over four years to the Gumboot Friday initiative, which offers free counselling to young people.
That was despite pressure from Labour at the time, who called on the Government to pause its funding of I Am Hope/Gumboot Friday after King’s controversial comments on alcohol.
“Alcohol is not a problem for people with mental health issues. It’s actually the solution to our problem, until you come up with a better solution,” King said at the time.
The Drug Foundation rejected that, saying alcohol was “really unhelpful during times of mental distress”.
King said the recruitment process for the new chief executive will begin in the coming weeks.
He has been executive director and principal ambassador for I Am Hope, carrying a share of the organisation’s chief executive duties.
Since launching Gumboot Friday in 2019, the initiative has provided more than 137,000 free counselling sessions to young New Zealanders aged 5 to 25.
King said he would continue to play a key role in the organisation in a new capacity, which will be announced alongside the appointment of the new chief executive.
“I’m not going anywhere,” King said.
“My passion for helping young people hasn’t changed. I’ll be taking on a new role that lets me get back to what I love most, connecting with people, challenging the system, and championing hope.”
-RNZ