Supermicro hires new CFO nearly two years after pledging an immediate search to replace longtime finance chief David Weigand following a board-led investigation. The hardware maker, a key supplier to Nvidia and Elon Musk’s SpaceX-linked ventures, named veteran executive Mark Long as chief financial officer, effective immediately.
Supermicro hires new CFO with Wall Street and tech credentials
Super Micro Computer said Wednesday that Mark Long, 59, has succeeded Weigand as CFO. Long previously served as chief financial officer and chief strategy officer at Western Digital and leads investment and advisory firm Prime Impact Capital.
He also co-founded and served as co-CEO and CFO of a special-purpose acquisition company that raised $300 million and merged in 2023 with Beijing-based auto insurance technology firm Cheche Technology.
Long arrives at a complicated juncture for the company, which maintains deep ties to Nvidia and to Musk’s xAI, now part of SpaceX. His track record as an operator and investor is expected to help stabilize the company’s standing with investors who have grown wary during two years of scrutiny.
Smuggling case and internal reviews shape the backdrop
In March, the Department of Justice and the FBI charged Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw in an alleged smuggling scheme involving roughly $2.5 billion of Supermicro hardware containing Nvidia chips subject to export controls that were allegedly diverted to China. Prosecutors allege Liaw and two others undertook elaborate steps to mislead authorities, including removing labels with hairdryers and setting up thousands of non-functioning replica servers because the real systems had already been rerouted to China.
Supermicro is not a defendant in the case and has said it is cooperating with law enforcement. Liaw has pleaded not guilty.
His arrest prompted a new board-directed internal investigation that the company said in August found no evidence current senior managers knew about the alleged smuggling.
Liaw, who resigned from the board after his arrest and charges, co-founded the company with Charles Liang and Sara Liu. He previously departed amid an audit committee review just before a 2018 Securities and Exchange Commission probe that resulted in charges against Supermicro and its then-CFO over improper revenue recognition.
The company resolved the SEC case with a $17.5 million settlement in 2020. Liaw returned as a consultant in May 2021, later became a full-time employee, and rejoined the board in December 2023.
Regulatory inquiries and court developments
Following Liaw’s March 2026 arrest, Supermicro disclosed it received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York concerning Liaw’s indictment and the company’s compliance program and internal controls.
The company also received subpoenas and inquiries from foreign authorities, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Bureau of Industry and Security within the Department of Commerce.
According to court filings, documents from Supermicro may be material to Liaw’s defense. His trial was moved from November 2026 to March 2027.
Court records show that one co-defendant who worked as a contractor for Supermicro, Ting-Wei “Willy” Sun, pleaded guilty last week to four counts, including conspiracy to smuggle goods, violations of export rules, and obstruction of justice.
A superseding filing states the obstruction charge stems from Sun deleting an encrypted messaging app on March 19, 2026, the day arrests occurred. Sun is scheduled for sentencing in September 2027 and faces a maximum of 20 years on the obstruction and conspiracy counts.
He must forfeit proceeds from the export offenses. His attorneys did not respond to a request for comment, and the records do not indicate whether he has a cooperation agreement.
Board changes and compensation details
As Long steps in, the board added former Intel IT CTO Shesha Krishnapura, while director Judy Lin retired. Lin previously served as a vice president at Western Digital from 2007 to September 2012, departing after Long began consulting for the company in March 2012 and before he became chief strategy officer in January 2013.
Supermicro detailed Long’s compensation: a $725,000 base salary, a $500,000 signing bonus, and a guaranteed annual cash bonus of $500,000. He is also eligible for additional cash incentives and annual equity awards based on company and individual performance.
The company said Long received an initial equity grant valued at about $4.1 million based on Thursday’s share price, along with options on 150,000 shares.
Chief Executive Officer Charles Liang, in a statement, welcomed Long and thanked Weigand, saying the new finance chief would have an immediate positive impact on financial execution. Supermicro said Weigand will remain to assist with the transition, with further details to come.