Jan Kasten is leaving ppi Media, ending a relationship which dates to 2002.

The current joint managing director - with Hauke Berndt - and chief technical officer leaves the German systems developer at the end of February, and will "take a break from his career".

Shareholders Hauke Berndt and Manuel Scheyda, will remain as managing directors.

Jan Kasten (pictured) had been responsible for research and development, product management and customer service, and had been involved in ppi's repositioning for the digital publishing industry.

Managing partners Berndt and Scheyda said Jan Kasten had "contributed significantly" to turning the new developments into a success.

"He was an excellent helmsman and friend who is now leaving the ship. I wish him plain sailing for the future and am looking forward to hearing from him again in the future," says Hauke Berndt.

Kasten says he "did a lot of thinking" before deciding to take some time out: "It goes without saying that this has not been an easy decision for me as I feel very close to the company, its staff and our customers."

He says ppi is "very well positioned for the future".

As managing directors, Scheyda will be responsible for development, product management, support and projects, while Berndt will lead the accounts, sales, marketing and administration departments, with the two sharing business transformation.