(By Balachander) Cree Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) shares retreated sharply after the manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting products announced the resignation of Chief Financial Officer John Kurtzweil, who will take a similar role at Extreme Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:EXTR).
Cree stock dropped 13 percent, the most in seven months, to $25.30. Extreme Networks shares added nearly 6 percent.
The Durham, North Carolina-based maker of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for wireless and power applications named corporate controller Michael McDevitt as interim finance chief.
Kurtzweil will remain as a Cree employee until June 15, to assist with the transition. Before Cree, Kurtzweil was CFO of Cirrus Logic and ON Semiconductor.
He suceeds Extreme Networks interim CFO Jim Judson, who will continue as a consultant during a transition period.
Santa Clara, California-based Extreme Networks provides high-performance Ethernet switching for cloud, data center and mobile networks.
Cree hired executive search consultants Russell Reynolds Associates to lead a search for Kurtzweil's replacement.
CREE shares, which have been trading in the 52-week range of $20.25 to $44.83, lost $1.77 to trade at $27.32 on Tuesday.