Nvidia has appointed longtime finance chief Colette Kress as its new interim chief executive officer following Jensen Huang’s resignation after 33 years leading the semiconductor company. The leadership change was announced on November 12, 2026, as Nvidia faces scrutiny over Huang’s reported personal relationships and a separate national security investigation.
Kress, 59, will continue serving as Nvidia’s executive vice president and chief financial officer while overseeing the company until a permanent successor is appointed. The board has also named longtime director Harvey C. Jones as its first independent chairman, marking a major restructuring of Nvidia’s leadership.
Who Is Nvidia’s New CEO Colette Kress?
Colette Kress is an American technology executive who joined Nvidia in September 2013 as chief financial officer. She has spent more than a decade overseeing the company’s finances during its transformation from a graphics processor manufacturer into a global leader in artificial intelligence computing.
Before joining Nvidia, Kress held senior financial positions at Microsoft and Cisco. She spent approximately 13 years at Microsoft, including four years as chief financial officer of its Server and Tools division.
She later served as senior vice president and CFO of Cisco’s Business Technology Operations Finance organization.
Kress earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Her extensive experience in corporate finance and semiconductor technology has made her a familiar figure to investors through Nvidia’s quarterly earnings presentations.
Why Did Jensen Huang Resign From Nvidia?
Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia’s president, CEO and board member after reports emerged about extramarital relationships, including one involving Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang.
U.S. intelligence officials reportedly suspected Alice Huang, a former executive associated with Singapore-based Megaspeed, of having connections to Chinese intelligence. Beijing has denied those allegations, which remain unproven publicly.
Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, in a statement issued on November 8.
Further reporting identified relationships involving Nvidia healthcare executive Kimberly Powell and another company employee whose identity has not been publicly disclosed.
Nvidia’s independent directors launched an investigation into whether Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The board initially expressed confidence in his leadership but later accepted his resignation.
According to the company’s regulatory filing, Huang officially stepped down on November 11, with the announcement following the next day.
Colette Kress Addresses Nvidia Employees After Appointment
Following her appointment, Kress acknowledged the company’s leadership transition and outlined her commitment to maintaining Nvidia’s existing business strategy.
“NVIDIA’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years,” Kress said.
She also addressed Nvidia’s priorities during the transition.
“We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders.”
Kress is expected to lead the company through its upcoming financial reporting period while maintaining oversight of Nvidia’s finance organization.
Harvey Jones Becomes Nvidia’s New Board Chairman
Alongside Kress’s appointment, Nvidia named Harvey C. Jones, 73, as chairman of its board of directors.
Jones has served on Nvidia’s board since 1993, the year Huang co-founded the company with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem.
He has more than three decades of experience in technology leadership, entrepreneurship and venture capital. His previous positions include senior executive roles at Synopsys.
Jones expressed confidence in Kress and Nvidia’s existing leadership team.
“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position,” Jones said.
He added that the board expected the company’s operations, customer commitments and technology roadmap to continue without interruption.
Who Could Become Nvidia’s Permanent CEO?
Nvidia has confirmed that its board will consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent chief executive position.
Several technology executives have emerged in discussions about possible successors.
Ian Buck, Nvidia’s vice president responsible for accelerated computing products, has been mentioned as a potential internal candidate. Buck has extensive experience developing GPU computing technologies and has played an important role in Nvidia’s software ecosystem.
Rene Haas, chief executive of Arm Holdings and a former Nvidia executive, has also been discussed as a possible candidate.
AMD chief executive Lisa Su has appeared in speculation surrounding the position, although there is no public confirmation that she is being considered or has expressed interest.
Kress herself could remain in the role permanently, depending on the board’s evaluation.
No candidate has been officially selected.
Nvidia Shares React to the Leadership Change
Nvidia shares experienced substantial volatility following the announcement of Huang’s departure.
The company’s stock initially fell sharply before recovering some losses. Shares finished Thursday’s trading session approximately 4.3% lower.
The decline reflected investor uncertainty about Nvidia’s ability to maintain its technological leadership without Huang, who had been closely involved in the company’s product strategy and relationships with major customers.
Nvidia remains a central supplier of advanced processors used by artificial intelligence companies, cloud computing providers and large technology businesses.
Kress will now oversee these operations while the company continues developing its next generation of AI computing products.
Nvidia Prepares for Its Upcoming Earnings Report
Nvidia is scheduled to release its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, 2026, at approximately 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time.
An earnings conference call will follow at 2 p.m., giving investors an opportunity to hear from the company’s new leadership.
The board is also expected to continue its independent investigation and evaluate potential permanent CEO candidates.
As of November 13, 2026, Colette Kress is serving as Nvidia’s interim CEO and CFO, Harvey Jones is chairman of the board, and the company has not announced a permanent replacement for Jensen Huang.