Marco Mora, SMIC's COO since 2003 and a SMIC executive since 2000, was among several executives hand-picked by SMIC founder Richard Chang when he started the company in 2000. In the wake of Chang's resignation earlier this week, many within the semiconductor industry had expected Mora to follow.

Chang resigned Monday, following the settlement of trade secrets misappropriation litigation with No. 1 foundry player Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). Some news organizations and market watchers have speculated that Chang was forced out by SMIC's board after the settlement, by which TSMC gained an 8 percent ownership of SMIC.

The Chinese foundry supplier said Chang left to pursue personal interests.

SMIC did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of Mora's resignation. But Mora is no longer listed on the management page of the company's website.

In a posting on his blog, The China Tech Letter, Clendenin wrote that Mora should have left SMIC earlier. The posting notes that Mora has been accused of working to get former employees of TSMC to bring that companies intellectual property over to SMIC.