Francis deSouza’s tenure at Illumina is a lesson in how not to handle CEO succession

The sudden resignation of Francis deSouza as the CEO of Illumina Sunday represents anything but an orderly transition — and it leaves a black mark on both his six-year tenure and his luckless quest to acquire the cancer diagnostics firm Grail.

But when the story of deSouza’s time as CEO is taught in management classes, it may be that the discussion should not just be about the decisions he made at the end. It should also be about the beginning, when deSouza took over from Illumina’s previous CEO, Jay Flatley, who had built the company into a genetic sequencing powerhouse.

At its core, this is as much a story of succession planning gone wrong, and of corporate culture being wrenched too quickly from one state to another, as it is one of badly placed strategic decisions.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account? Log in

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.

Already have an account? Log in

Individual plans

Group plans

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/month Get Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$30

for 3 months, then $399/year

$30 for 3 months Get Started

Then $399/year

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/year Get Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A Quote Request A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/year Get Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.

Subscribe

Log In