There likely will not be a new chief in place at the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) until the fall, even as its outgoing head, Doug Melville, is set to leave at the end of the month.

OBSI said Wednesday that a search has begun for Melville’s replacement as ombudsman and CEO of the dispute resolution service, and that executive search firm Desautels Consulting has been hired for the task. OBSI says that its board expects that the new chief will be in place by the fall.

However, with Melville set to leave on May 31 to take over as principal ombudsman and chief executive for the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (CIFO), there will a gap between his departure and the arrival of his successor. In the interim, OBSI Chairman Fernand Bélisle, will oversee the organization’s management team, it notes.

Additionally, OBSI indicates that its board is considering a change to its bylaws to open up the field of prospective candidates. At its upcoming meeting on May 26, the board will consider a change that, it says, “would allow for greater flexibility in appointing someone with government or regulatory experience, provided that individual met OBSI’s stringent tests for independence and impartiality.”