Nvidia Begins CEO Search After Huang’s Resignation; Kress Named Interim Leader

The search for a new chief executive is underway at Nvidia following a tumultuous week that saw co-founder and long-time CEO Jensen Huang resign amid allegations of extramarital affairs, including one involving an alleged Chinese spy and two with company employees.

The board swiftly appointed Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, as interim CEO. While Kress may assume the role permanently, the company is also evaluating other candidates for the full-time position. Names frequently mentioned include Ian Buck, who oversees Nvidia’s AI hardware and software products, and Rene Haas, a former Nvidia executive currently serving as CEO of Arm Holdings.

Whoever succeeds Huang will wield enormous influence over the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector. The global AI ecosystem is heavily dependent on Nvidia, which designs the advanced chips essential for training models and powering operations at firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. As a central driver of the U.S. economy and one of the world’s most valuable companies—boasting a market capitalization near $4 trillion—the stakes for the appointment are exceptionally high.

Huang, who founded the company in 1993, was known for an ambitious, visionary leadership style that touched nearly every aspect of the business. He managed through an unconventional structure, maintaining roughly 60 direct reports to retain tight control over daily operations. While his son and daughter are employed at Nvidia—with his daughter occasionally viewed as a potential proxy—neither is currently considered to have the experience required to lead the enterprise.

Kress, 59, joined Nvidia in 2013 after holding finance leadership roles at Texas Instruments, Microsoft, and Cisco. A fixture on quarterly earnings calls, she has been instrumental in guiding the company’s transformation from a niche graphics chip maker into a trillion-dollar AI powerhouse.

“Colette has helped lead Nvidia through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations, and financial position,” said Harvey C. Jones, the newly appointed chair of Nvidia’s board, in a statement Thursday. “The board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team.”

Kress stated that Nvidia’s “strength has always come from its people” and pledged to build on the “extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years.” She will serve as both CEO and interim CFO until a permanent successor is named.

The board confirmed it has launched a formal search considering both internal and external candidates. Alongside Kress, Buck is viewed as a strong internal contender. A veteran of the company since 2004, he currently leads the deployment of generative AI technologies in partnership with major players including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI.

Haas, the CEO of Arm Holdings, brings deep institutional knowledge, having spent seven years at Nvidia as a vice president and general manager before departing for Arm in 2013. Lisa Su, CEO of rival chipmaker AMD and a distant cousin of Huang, has also been cited as a potential external candidate.

The leadership transition arrives at a critical juncture, with Nvidia scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings next Tuesday.

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