Paul Brest, who has led the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 1999, announced on Friday that he will retire from the position next year.
Brest, a former dean of Stanford Law School, said in a message on Hewlett’s website that he had decided the time was right to step down.
“Next summer I will turn 72, the age at which Hewlett board members (including the president) have traditionally retired,” he said. “After 12 years as president, I am planning to leave the foundation to return to teaching.”