Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, announced that its board of directors has accepted the resignation of Francis deSouza as Illumina's chief executive officer and as a director, effective Sunday, June 11. Charles Dadswell, senior vice president and general counsel, has been named interim CEO while the board of directors conducts a search for a new CEO. deSouza will stay on in an advisory capacity until July 31, 2023.

Illumina's board said it is appreciative of deSouza's contributions and commitment to the company and all of its stakeholders.

"We thank Francis for his contributions and leadership, and are very excited about embarking on the next chapter of Illumina's great journey," said Stephen P. MacMillan, chair of the board of Illumina. "Illumina's technology remains at the forefront of DNA sequencing and has continued to set the pace for the industry. We are confident Illumina can continue to execute on its goals while we conduct and complete a CEO search process."

"It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve Illumina. When I joined this company in 2013, we talked about making the company more clinical, more digital, and more global. On behalf of patients, clinicians and physicians everywhere, I'd like to thank the thousands of Illumina employees who made it happen," said deSouza. "We have made great progress together, but I believe we are still at the very beginning of the impact Illumina will have on human health by unlocking the power of the genome."

The board of directors is conducting a search for a new CEO looking at internal and external candidates. The board is focused on finding a world-class business leader who can drive advancements in healthcare, growth and shareholder value.

Illumina’s goal is to apply innovative technologies to the analysis of genetic variation and function, making studies possible that were not even imaginable just a few years ago. It is mission critical for us to deliver innovative, flexible, and scalable solutions to meet the needs of our customers.