In a major surprise, Char Beales, who has been at the helm of CTAM for the past 21 years, has announced her retirement at the end of the year.

The announcement follows reports in the past week that Glenn Britt, who has run Time Warner Cable since 2001, will also be stepping down at year’s end.

The news about Beales was first reported by CableFAX. [CableFax is behind a pay wall so only its subscribers will be able to read its full report.]

Here’s the statement CTAM released today:

(National Harbor, MD — February 7, 2013) Char Beales, CTAM president and CEO, has announced her plans to retire at the end of 2013, after more than 20 years at the helm. While she had considered retirement in 2012, the CTAM Board Executive Committee requested she stay another year.

CTAM Chairman David Juliano, EVP, sales and marketing, Comcast, stated, “Char is a consummate leader. She has engendered the respect and admiration of the industry, making CTAM the highly valued organization it is today.” Juliano continued, “I, along with the CTAM Board, am grateful that she agreed to stay on as CEO through 2013 to help us achieve the business model and leadership transition.” 

Beales stated, “I’ve had a phenomenal experience at CTAM and I’m so thankful to everyone who contributed to our extraordinary success. CTAM’s future is bright, and I’m excited to continue to work closely with our members over the coming months to keep us on point to achieve their strategic vision.”

The search for her replacement will begin later in the year.