Emma Revie is joining the The Trussell Trust as chief executive after 18 months at Ambition, which merged with UK Youth in September. She leaves Ambition in January and starts at The Trussell Trust in February.
Revie's role as chief executive of Ambition will not be filled.
The newly merged body is currently being led by interim chief executive Lindsay Levkoff Lynn and will be covered permanently by UK Youth chief executive Anna Smee when she returns from maternity leave.
"It has been an absolute delight and honour to work with all of our inspiring members over the last 18 months and I'm extremely excited about the possibilities our merger with UK Youth presents," said Revie.
"I have had the opportunity to speak with many of our members at our roundtables across the country and I look forward to speaking with many more over the coming weeks.
"I am delighted to say that we have identified an array of new, exciting opportunities to create the best organisation to support and advocate on behalf of youth services across the country."
She added: "The work of leading Ambition and UK Youth will be continued by Lindsay Levkoff Lynn who has, in only a short time, demonstrated a deep passion and commitment to our members and their work with young people.
"I am delighted that the organisation is being left in such strong hands and with the return of Anna Smee after her maternity leave, the future of our joint organisation is looking bright."
Revie took over from Helen Marshall in September 2016, who had run Ambition for six years overseeing its 2015 merger with the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services before moving to Brook.
Revie's background includes being the former chief executive of Landmark, a youth education charity based in London's East End, former head of donor services at international aid charity Tearfund, and running her own freelance consultancy and training business.
The merger of UK Youth and Ambition, which had been known as Clubs for Young People until 2012, ended decades of speculation that the two long-established youth groups would join forces.
Initial conversations about a merger date back more than 70 years, according to Ambition, which becomes a subsidiary of UK Youth through the merger deal.
