Synopsis:
- Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO of NVIDIA following Jensen Huang’s resignation.
- She joined NVIDIA in September 2013 and has served as its Executive Vice President and CFO.
- Before NVIDIA, Kress held senior finance positions at Cisco, Microsoft and Texas Instruments.
- NVIDIA’s board has initiated a search for a permanent CEO, with Kress continuing as CFO during the interim period.
NVIDIA has appointed Colette Kress, its longtime Chief Financial Officer, as interim Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang on November 12, 2026. The leadership transition places one of the company’s most experienced financial executives at the helm of the artificial intelligence and semiconductor giant during a significant period of change.
Kress will continue serving as NVIDIA’s Executive Vice President and CFO while taking on the interim CEO position. The company’s board has also initiated a search for a permanent successor and confirmed that it will consider both internal and external candidates.
Who Is Colette Kress?
Colette Kress is a technology-industry finance executive who joined NVIDIA in September 2013. She has spent more than a decade overseeing the company’s financial organisation, working closely with its leadership team through its expansion from a graphics processor business into a major player in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.
According to NVIDIA, Kress brought nearly 25 years of experience in finance roles at major technology companies before joining the company. Her responsibilities have included financial planning, reporting, business strategy and managing the company’s financial position.
Her appointment gives NVIDIA an interim leader with extensive knowledge of its operations, financial performance and business relationships.
From Texas Instruments to Microsoft and Cisco
Before joining NVIDIA, Kress built her career across several major technology companies.
She began her professional career at Texas Instruments, where she held finance-related positions. She subsequently spent 13 years at Microsoft, including serving as CFO of its Server and Tools division for four years and holding senior roles in corporate planning and finance.
Kress later joined Cisco, where she served as Senior Vice President and CFO of the company’s Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation. In that role, she was responsible for financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development across business segments, engineering and operations.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
What Does Her Appointment Mean for NVIDIA?
Kress takes charge of NVIDIA at a time when the company occupies a central position in the global AI infrastructure market. Its processors and computing platforms are used across data centres, cloud computing, artificial intelligence development and high-performance computing.
The board has expressed confidence in Kress and the existing leadership team, stating that the company’s operations, customer commitments and technology roadmap are expected to continue without interruption.
Her appointment also comes with the responsibility of maintaining relationships with investors, customers, suppliers and technology partners while the board searches for a permanent CEO.
NVIDIA has not announced a timeline for completing the CEO search. Kress will continue in the interim role until a permanent successor is appointed.
What Comes Next?
The leadership transition marks a new chapter for NVIDIA, a company closely associated with Jensen Huang’s leadership since its founding in 1993.
While Kress brings considerable financial and operational experience, the company’s next phase will continue to be shaped by AI demand, semiconductor innovation, data-centre expansion and competition across the global technology industry.
For now, the focus will be on leadership continuity and execution as NVIDIA navigates the transition. The board’s eventual decision on a permanent CEO will be another important development for the company and the wider AI industry.
Source: NVIDIA – Official CEO Transition Announcement | NVIDIA – Colette Kress Official Profile
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not investment advice.
For more such information, visit EQMint
Join our WhatsApp channel for timely updates: Whatsapp
