Mary Jo White, the chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will leave the agency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

The move follows Donald Trump’s upset US election victory last week.

White's term at the helm of the SEC hadn't been scheduled to expire until June 2019.

She arrived at the SEC in April 2013 after being nominated by President Obama.

Under her leadership, the SEC advanced more than 50 significant rulemaking initiatives.

These included reforms to the money market fund industry, enhanced equity market structure oversight and safeguards for investors in $7trn security-based swap market.

The agency’s whistleblower program has awarded more than $100m, since inception -virtually all during Chair White’s tenure - to individuals who provided information that led to successful enforcement actions.

It's not yet clear who Trump plans to nominate to replace White.

White did not state a reason for her resignation, but said it was a "tremendous honor" to lead the SEC.

In her statement, she said it's "critical" that the SEC remain "truly independent," allowing the agency to carry out its duty to safeguard markets and protect investors.