TOM Sears last night resigned as chief executive of Derbyshire CCC to take up a new role with the New Zealand Cricket board.

The shock news was announced to a committee meeting at the County Ground and brings an end to an era which has brought huge progress during his time at the head of the administration.

When Sears arrived in February 2005, the club was in a financial mess. Heavy accumulated losses left it on the brink of ruin but Sears and chairman Don Amott instigated an extensive restructuring.

Derbyshire had to bite the bullet of a £215,000 loss while the restructuring was taking effect in 2005 but the transformation was astonishing – a £55,000 profit in 2006, followed by another surplus last year and the prospect of another this year.

Sears, aged 39, is a trained journalist who moved into sport with the Rugby Football Union and Northampton Saints before taking his first job in cricket in charge of Worcestershire's commercial department.

In his time with Derbyshire, he has established a reputation as a man not afraid to take a difficult decision and has always been prepared to fight his corner on Derbyshire's behalf, even though it has often put him at odds with the decision-makers on the England and Wales Cricket Board.

That makes him a very hard act to follow but he says the offer to become New Zealand Cricket's head of business development was much too good to turn down.

"They are having a big expansion and this is a new job as part of their commercial operation," said Sears (pictured).

"It's a great opportunity professionally and for my family. This is something we have always wanted to do and the timing has worked out well in terms of the kids' schooling.

"Chances like this don't come up very often and we felt that if we didn't do this now, perhaps we never would.

"I will be sad to leave Derbyshire because I think we have made decent progress in my time here and there is more work to do.

"I think what I will look back on most fondly is turning around a financial position where we were looking over the precipice to making a regular surplus.

"But I'm also proud that we have seen a massive growth in gate revenue, improvements made to the ground and I'm glad I played a part in going back to Chesterfield.

"I think the signs are we are getting it right on the field as well and I'm sure if the club continues to back John Morris, we will have a successful side.

"I hope people will look back on my time at Derbyshire and feel the club is in a better position now than it was four years ago."

It will be the job of the next chief executive to make sure Derbyshire build on the base that has been set since Sears took over and Amott paid his tribute to the man he has worked closely with during his chairmanship.

"Tom has made a fantastic contribution during his time with the club and, under his leadership the executive team, has made enormous strides in turning the business around," Amott said.

"He is widely respected within this game, he has been an outstanding chief executive for Derbyshire and will be greatly missed."