Veteran correspondent Steve Kroft will retire from “60 Minutes,” after 30 years with the show. CBS News made the announcement on Friday.

During his tenure, Kroft has reported close to 500 stories for “60 Minutes.” He is also the longest-serving correspondent on the popular news magazine show. He is recognized for his sharp interviews and striking investigative reporting.

Recently appointed CBS News president Susan Zirinsky praised his 39-year career with the network.

“From the moment Steve Kroft arrived at CBS News in 1980, he has been shot out of a cannon and wherever he landed his stories broke news, had depth, and a strong sense of humanity,” Zirinsky said. “From Central America to a tour of duty in London, and back to New York, his destiny was clear, Kroft’s investigative instincts and ability to unravel the most complex stories made him a perfect fit for the ‘60 Minutes’ team.”

Bill Owens, the show’s executive producer also shared an inspiring note about Kroft’s influence on the show and the world of journalism.

“Steve Kroft’s reporting for ‘60 Minutes’ has been as important as any correspondent’s in the history of this broadcast,” Owens said. “Steve, with his sharp eye for detail, rich writing and demanding journalism, has set the bar at ’60 Minutes’ for three decades.”

Some of his career highlights include the interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton that CBS broadcast to 34 million people following the 1992 Super Bowl.

Kroft interviewed Barack Obama 11 times as president. His sit-down with him when he was President-elect drew more than 25 million and remains the largest 60 Minutes audience since 1999.

His story on insider trading in the U.S. Congress drove the passage of the STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) of 2012. The organization shared that his best reporting was his 2000 story on nuclear-armed Pakistan’s political instability.

Kroft’s final segment airing this Sunday will be an investigation into bank fraud. There is no questioning Kroft’s influence on journalism and America’s most-watched news program.