Ocado, a major UK online grocery company, has announced it is searching for a new chief executive officer. The company's founder, Tim Steiner, who has run the business since it started, is stepping back from his role.

This is the first time Ocado has publicly stated it is looking for new leadership. Boards typically keep these searches private until they are close to a decision—or until outside pressure makes secrecy difficult. In Ocado's case, the company's share price has fallen, putting pressure on both Steiner and the board to take action publicly.

Ocado is not a typical grocery store. It runs an online grocery delivery service in the UK, but it also builds and sells automated warehouse technology to other large retailers around the world. That second business—selling robots and software to other companies—is what many investors believe is the more valuable part of Ocado. Think of it like a company that both bakes bread and sells oven equipment to bakeries; the oven business and the bread business pull in different directions.

Steiner built both of these businesses from the ground up. That means a lot of how Ocado works, and how investors think about its future, is tied to his decisions and presence. When he leaves, the question becomes: will the next CEO keep the same strategy, or change it?

The search process typically takes between one and one-and-a-half years. During that time, Steiner will remain as CEO, but his power to make big decisions about the company's future may weaken. People inside and outside the company will wonder whether his plans will stick around once he's gone.

There is also the question of where the next CEO comes from. If Ocado promotes someone from inside, it sends a signal that the company is staying on the same path. If it hires someone from outside, it suggests the board wants a fresh direction.

For now, what matters is this: Ocado has admitted publicly that things are changing. The company's current structure has an expiration date. What comes next remains unclear.