SAN JOSE -- Sanmina-SCI president and chief operating officer Joe Bronson, the man many credit for returning the company to profitability, is leaving the electronics manufacturing services firm, the company said Wednesday night.

Sanmina-SCI did not disclose the reason, but said Bronson would serve as an advisor to Hari Pillai, who was promoted to president and COO. The company has turned a profit in three of the four quarters since his hiring.

Pillai was most recently president of global EMS operations for Sanmina-SCI and has been with the company for 14 years.

Bronson, 59, was named COO in August 2007 after a long career at Applied Materials and FormFactor Inc.