Nvidia names Colette Kress interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigns

# Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Resigns After 33 Years, Colette Kress Named Interim Chief Executive

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as president and chief executive officer, bringing an end to his 33-year leadership of the artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company announced the unexpected leadership change on November 12, 2026, confirming that Huang's departure took effect immediately. He has also stepped down from Nvidia's board of directors. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO while the company begins its search for a permanent successor. The announcement marks a significant transition for one of the world's most influential technology companies, which has become a central player in the global artificial intelligence industry.

Alongside the leadership change, Nvidia's board appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chair. Jones has served on the company's board since 1993 and brings decades of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur and investor. He previously served as chief executive officer and executive chairman of Synopsys. As board chair, Jones is expected to play an important role in overseeing the leadership transition and guiding the search for Nvidia's next permanent CEO.

Kress will retain her existing responsibilities as executive vice president and CFO while taking on the interim chief executive position. She joined Nvidia in September 2013 and has led its finance organization for more than a decade, helping manage the company's expansion through major changes in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence markets. Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years in finance roles at technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

Announcing the appointment, Jones praised Kress's understanding of Nvidia's business, customers, operations and financial position. He said she had helped lead the company through a period of extraordinary growth and emphasized the board's confidence in her and the existing leadership team. Nvidia expects its business operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption during the transition.

Kress also emphasized continuity in her response to the appointment. She said Nvidia's strength comes from its employees and that she would work with the leadership team to build on the foundation established during Huang's 33 years at the company. The board has confirmed that it will consider both internal and external candidates before selecting a permanent chief executive.

Huang's resignation comes amid growing scrutiny surrounding reports of two alleged extramarital relationships and an investigation into a possible foreign intelligence operation. One of the reported relationships involved Alice Huang, a Chinese business executive whom U.S. authorities reportedly suspect of having connections to Chinese intelligence. The allegations have attracted attention because of the wider concerns surrounding technology security, semiconductor supply chains and U.S.-China competition.

Separately, The New York Times reported an alleged relationship between Huang and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, citing people familiar with the matter. Reports about the relationships intensified pressure surrounding the company's leadership. Huang had acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to employees, according to media reports. Nvidia, however, did not identify these matters as the reason for his resignation in its official announcement.

The company had previously announced an independent investigation into reports that Huang was targeted by a suspected foreign intelligence operation. The allegations involving Alice Huang have also drawn attention to concerns about possible attempts to obtain sensitive information connected to Nvidia and the semiconductor industry. These claims remain allegations, and the company's announcement did not provide a direct explanation for Huang's departure.

Kress now takes responsibility for leading Nvidia during a particularly important period for the technology sector. The company has become a major supplier of advanced processors used to train and operate artificial intelligence systems, making its leadership decisions significant for customers, investors and technology partners around the world. Maintaining confidence in its strategy and ensuring continuity across its product development and customer relationships will be among the immediate priorities for the interim CEO.

Before Huang's resignation, several Nvidia executives and technology leaders had been discussed in media reports as possible successors. Senior executive Ian Buck was among the internal names mentioned. Buck joined Nvidia in 2004 and contributed to the development of CUDA, the software platform that has become central to the company's computing ecosystem. He currently leads its hyperscale AI product business.

Other names have appeared in broader succession speculation, including Arm CEO Rene Haas, a former Nvidia executive, AMD CEO Lisa Su, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Sierra CEO Bret Taylor. Nvidia senior vice president of hardware engineering Andrew Bell has also been mentioned. Some commentary has even raised the possibility of Lori Huang, Jensen Huang's wife and a former microchip engineer at Silicon Graphics. However, Nvidia has not confirmed any of these individuals as candidates for the permanent position.

The leadership transition comes just days before Nvidia is scheduled to report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17. The earnings announcement will provide investors with an early opportunity to assess how the company is managing the change at the top while continuing to meet demand for its AI computing products. Kress is expected to lead the company through this period as the board evaluates potential successors.

Huang's departure closes a defining chapter in Nvidia's history. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics chip developer into a global technology powerhouse whose processors and software platforms have become essential to the development of modern artificial intelligence. The board's decision on a permanent successor will shape Nvidia's next phase as it seeks to maintain its position in the rapidly changing AI industry.