March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Charles Saumarez Smith, director of London's National Gallery, will become the Royal Academy's chief executive and secretary in September, statements from both institutions said. His successor at the National Gallery has not yet been chosen.

Saumarez Smith, 52, has run the National Gallery since 2002 and previously was head of the National Portrait Gallery. The announcement of his departure comes just over a week after the Sunday Times reported that Saumarez Smith was engaged in a power struggle with the chairman of the gallery's board of trustees, Peter Scott, who was calling for his departure.

National Gallery spokeswoman Tracy Jones said Saumarez Smith had been ``headhunted before Christmas'' for the Royal Academy position, and added, ``the recent coverage has absolutely nothing to do with this at all.''

``He's been going for this role since last December,'' Jones added. ``It's just an accident of timing'' that it comes soon after the article's publication, she said, adding that the next director would be chosen by the gallery's board of trustees.

The Sunday Times cited unidentified trustees as saying that Scott had questioned Saumarez Smith's running of the museum, and that some board members had reacted earlier this month by calling for Scott's resignation.

`Great Loss'

In a statement, Scott said he and the trustees ``are sorry indeed to see the departure'' of Saumarez Smith. ``He will be a great loss to the National Gallery,'' Scott said. ``He has enjoyed nearly five years of remarkable achievement as our director.''

Saumarez Smith, in a statement issued by the Royal Academy, said, ``After 13 years running two major national galleries, I am looking forward to working closely with the President and the Council of the Royal Academy, as well as with the community of contemporary artists, architects and sculptors which the Royal Academicians represent.''

During his tenure at the National Gallery, Saumarez Smith organized a slew of blockbuster exhibitions, the most recent being ``Velazquez,'' which ended in January. He also oversaw a physical revamp of the museum, and sought to expand its exhibition space.

At the Royal Academy, Saumarez Smith will be working with Exhibitions Secretary Norman Rosenthal, who has been there for the past three decades.

The last person to hold the job of RA secretary, investment banker Lawton Fitt, quit in December 2004 after clashing with Rosenthal over the exhibition program.

To contact the reporter on this story: Farah Nayeri in London farahn@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 27, 2007 14:04 EDT