The chief executive of the Nerdery, Tom O'Neill, has stepped down and will join the company's board of advisers.

The Bloomington-based software design firm said it has started a search for a new chief executive, a process that could take four to six months.

"Tom has been a critical part of our success and he'll continue to be as part of our advisory board," Mike Derheim, chairman and co-founder of the Nerdery, said in a statement. "During the last two years, we've transformed from a software vendor into a strategic technology partner for our clients."

The Nerdery announced that R.J. Nicolosi, a member of the company's board of advisers and former vice president of New York-based workforce solutions company the Superior Group, has been brought on as president of the company.

"We've made progress in our transformation, but it was in our best interest to bring in an outside leader who has experience with large-scale organizational transitions and can accelerate our evolution," Derheim said. "We're proud to have R.J. on the team to share his experience with us on a day-to-day basis."

O'Neill served as the company's president for two years before he was promoted in January 2016 to chief executive, succeeding Derheim. No further details about the latest transition were given.

Earlier this summer, the Nerdery added marketing veteran Adrian Slobin as its chief strategy and operating officer.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495

Twitter: @stribnorfleet