Nvidia named its CFO Colette Kress interim CEO on Nov 12, 2026 after co-founder Jensen Huang resigned. It puts one of the company’s longest serving senior executives in charge while its board looks for a permanent successor.
Kress has been Nvidia’s Executive Vice President and CFO since September 2013. During her time there the company moved from being a graphics and computing hardware manufacturer to one of the world’s most influential artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure companies.
Her appointment comes at a critical time for Nvidia which is central to the global AI industry through its graphics processing units (GPUs), computing platforms and software ecosystem.
Kress will continue to oversee her CFO responsibilities as interim CEO, the company said. The board has started looking for a permanent chief executive and is open to both internal and external candidates.
Who Is Colette Kress?
Colette Kress is an American finance executive who has worked in senior financial positions at major technology companies for nearly 25 years.
She joined Nvidia in September 2013 as EVP and CFO. Since then she has led the company’s financial organisation through a period of rapid growth.
Before joining Nvidia, Kress held senior finance positions at several major technology companies including:
- Cisco: She held senior financial leadership positions at the networking and technology company.
- Microsoft: She learned about the financial operations of one of the world’s largest software companies.
- Texas Instruments: She also had finance responsibilities at the semiconductor manufacturer.
Her work in the technology and semiconductor industries has given her exposure to corporate finance, business planning, financial management and large-scale technology operations.
Kress has an undergraduate degree in finance and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
How Did Colette Kress Become Nvidia's CFO?
Kress joined Nvidia in September 2013, when the company was still best known for its graphics processing units (GPUs) used in gaming, professional visualisation and computing.
In the years following this Nvidia expanded its business into data centres, accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.
As CFO Kress ran the company’s finance organisation and helped run its financial operations during this expansion.
Nvidia’s annual revenue grew from $4.13 billion in fiscal year 2014 to $215.9 billion in fiscal year 2026, according to reports after her appointment (sources cited above).
The growth was evidence of demand for Nvidia’s GPUs and computing platforms (as technology companies piled into AI infrastructure).
She was responsible for financial planning, reporting, capital allocation and the company’s overall financial position.
Why Was Colette Kress Appointed Interim CEO?
On November 12, 2026 Nvidia announced that Jensen Huang had resigned as President, CEO and member of the board effective immediately.
The board named Kress interim CEO and began the search for a permanent replacement.
In its official announcement Nvidia said Kress had led the company through a period of extraordinary growth and had deep knowledge of its business, customers, operations and financial position.
Harvey C. Jones was named the first chair of Nvidia’s board and said he had faith in Kress and the leadership team already in place.
Kress said she was committed to building on what Huang had built in 33 years at the company and continuing Nvidia’s work in accelerated computing and AI.
The company has not announced a deadline for appointing a permanent CEO.
Jensen Huang’s resignation: What happened at Nvidia?
Jensen Huang’s resignation came after several days of intense scrutiny about his personal relationships and allegations that a woman linked to Chinese intelligence had been working with US intelligence officials.
Reuters and other international media outlets also reported allegations of another relationship involving a senior Nvidia executive.
Huang had previously admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and apologised to family and Nvidia employees according to media reports.
The news raised questions about corporate governance and national security. Nvidia’s board had announced earlier that it would conduct an independent probe into reports of the alleged intelligence connection.
But Nvidia’s Nov. 12 official announcement merely stated Huang had resigned, without explaining why. So the allegations need to be separated from Nvidia’s formal explanation (which was non-existent).
Huang’s exit ends his 33-year run as CEO.
What challenges does Colette Kress face as interim CEO?
Kress takes over Nvidia at a time when the company is central to the global AI infrastructure market.
Her immediate responsibilities are business continuity, customer commitments and that the company’s product and technology plans stay on track.
Several important areas will require attention:
1. Maintaining investor confidence
Investors are still uncertain about the sudden leadership change. Kress will need to communicate how the company is positioned financially and what business priorities it has while the board searches for a permanent CEO.
2. Managing AI industry demand
Nvidia provides the computing chips and platforms that large technology companies use to build and run AI systems. Keeping its place in this market will be a key goal.
3. Managing financial and investment decisions
Reuters said Kress had previously fought some of Huang’s more aggressive investment and financing proposals. Her approach to capital allocation could be watched as the company considers future AI infrastructure opportunities.
4. Navigating regulatory and geopolitical issues
Nvidia operates in an international environment (advanced chip exports to China) that is complex and will continue to be scrutinized for export controls, supply chains and national security issues.
5. She led the company through a permanent leadership transition.
Kress now has to run the interim period while the board interviews candidates for the permanent CEO role. Whether she will stay on permanently hasn’t been decided yet.
Will Colette Kress Become Nvidia's Permanent CEO?
Nvidia has not said whether Kress will be considered for permanent CEO or how long she will serve as interim chief executive.
The board has said that they will consider internal and external candidates.
Reuters reported that “several names have been mentioned as possible candidates” including Nvidia executive Ian Buck and Arm CEO Rene Haas. Names have been reported in media reports but should not be seen as appointments or an official shortlist.
For now, Kress is still running Nvidia’s operations and CFO.
What Colette Kress's Appointment Means for Nvidia
The appointment of Colette Kress is an important leadership change for Nvidia. Jensen Huang was closely associated with the technology direction and expansion of the company but Kress has extensive finance and corporate management experience as well.
She knows Nvidia’s operations, financial position and customers so continuity occurs during the transition.
The company’s immediate challenge will be to keep the business moving forward while answering questions about governance, leadership and its future strategy.
Whether Kress will eventually become Nvidia’s permanent CEO is unclear, but her interim appointment puts her at the centre of one of the biggest leadership transitions in global tech history.
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