Nvidia has appointed its current Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, as interim CEO, the company announced on Thursday. The decision follows the sudden resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang, who had led the chipmaker for 33 years. Huang’s departure comes in the wake of reports regarding an alleged affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
Kress, who has served as Nvidia's executive vice president and chief financial officer since joining the company in September 2013, will now oversee operations as the firm navigates this leadership transition. The company manufactures processors that power many of the world’s most advanced supercomputers and artificial intelligence data centres.
Before joining Nvidia, Kress built an extensive career in financial leadership roles within the technology sector. She spent eight years at Texas Instruments before moving to Microsoft in 1997. During her tenure at Microsoft, she served as the chief financial officer for the Server and Tools division starting in 2006. In 2010, she joined Cisco as senior vice president and chief financial officer of its Business Technology and Operations Finance organization.
Kress holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. According to a 2024 Fortune report, she has spent nearly 25 years in financial roles at major technology corporations. Forbes currently ranks her as the 32nd richest self-made woman in America, with her stake in Nvidia valued at approximately $750 million as of Wednesday’s market close.
Key facts
- Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO after 33 years at the helm of the company.
- Colette Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since September 2013.
- Nvidia’s annual revenue grew from $4.13 billion in fiscal 2013 to $215.9 billion in fiscal 2026.
- Kress previously held senior financial roles at Microsoft and Cisco Systems.
- Forbes ranked Kress 32nd on its 2026 list of America’s wealthiest self-made women.
Background
Nvidia is a prominent chipmaker known for its processors that support global AI data centres and high-performance computing infrastructure.
Source: Economic Times
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