Gaumont co-CEO Franck Chorot will step down from his post as of February 1, the French major has announced.

Chorot will continue to work with the world's oldest film company as an in-house producer as well as working on co-productions set up with other companies in France and abroad.

Following a stint as the head of UIP France, Chorot returned to the Gaumont fold in 2000 to replace Pierre-Ange Le Pogam as deputy general manager of worldwide marketing and distribution and in 2004 was named co-chairman of the studio along with Christophe Riandee.

Since then he has produced such films as Djamel Bensalah's Once Upon A Time In The Oued and Olivier Marchal's 36, Quai Des Orfevres.

'This movement illustrates Gaumont's desire to maintain a consequential production volume,' said a Gaumont spokesman.

Chorot will report to president Sidonie Dumas.