Swimming Australia's high-performance director has resigned to take up a similar role at USA Rugby.
Tamara Sheppard, who was appointed in 2018, oversaw Australia's successful Olympic and world championship campaigns at the pool.
Sheppard departs in mid-November for USA Rugby to lead the men’s and women’s sevens and 15s high-performance programs.
USA Rugby is planning for next year's Paris Olympics as a stepping stone towards success at the 2028 Games on home soil in Los Angeles.
Sheppard says she leaves Australian swimming with a "heavy heart".
“This is a very special program that is purpose-driven and puts the person first," she said on Tuesday.
Sheppard's role in building the Dolphins' culture was hailed by head coach Rohan Taylor.
"It has been an absolute honour to have worked alongside Tamara for the past five years,” Taylor said.
“From the success of the Tokyo Olympic Games through to the recent success in the Fukuoka world champs, Tamara has provided world-class leadership that helped drive the success."
Greg Shaw, currently Swimming Australia's general manager of performance support, will take over the high-performance role leading into next year's Paris Olympics.
