The chairman of A+E Networks, who has long been a mover and shaker in the entertainment industry, has announced that after 33 years with the company she is stepping down.

Abbe Raven plans to leave her position Feb. 2, 2015, reports our good friend Jon Lafayette in B&C.

Writes Lafayette, “Raven passed her CEO title to Nancy Dubuc last year.”

With Raven gone, that means her hand-picked successor, Dubuc, whom Raven hired 15 years ago, will be the company’s top executive. Dubuc will retain her president and CEO title, according to Deadline.

In an interview with The Wall St. Journal, Raven said about Dubuc succeeding her, “You can count on one hand the number of women who have passed on to women. I’m hoping it will change.”

In memo to those who work at A&E, Raven wrote that 33 years ago:

“I dreamed of breaking into the almost newborn cable business. By sheer good fortune, I saw an announcement in the NY Times heralding a promotional event for the launch of a brand new cable service called DAYTIME. With resume in hand, I went to the event at — of all places — the lingerie department at Macy’s — to meet the new network’s programming executives. I jumped at the chance and with an eagerness to do anything — to copy scripts — to answer phones — to get coffee — indeed, to do whatever I was asked to help in the launch. And what a ride it has been!

Later in the memo she added, “I will miss the daily excitement and energy that runs through our halls. It’s hard to say goodbye to the people and the company I love, the place I have been thinking about every day for most of my adult life. But it’s time. Time for me to explore new ideas, new interests, new callings — new chapters in my life. And as chairman emeritus of the company in the future, I look forward to serving the company when called upon as an ambassador and advisor. ”

According to Raven’s official A+E Networks bio, “Prior to this position, Raven led A+E Networks as President and Chief Executive Officer, tripling its earnings and expanding its global portfolio since April 2005. She also oversaw the company’s strategic merger with Lifetime Television in 2009. Under Raven’s leadership, A+E Networks’ channels and branded programming have grown to reach more than 330 million households in over 150 countries. During her tenure at A+E Networks, Raven has been honored for building some of the most prominent and highly valued cable networks and for standing at the forefront of numerous industry-wide initiatives.”

To read more about this story we urge you to click on the links, above, to the full stories at both the B&C and Deadline websites. The Wall Street Journal may charge you to read its story.

Abbe Raven (picture from the A+E Networks Website)