NVIDIA announced its Board of Directors had accepted Jensen Huang’s resignation as President, CEO and a member of the board, effective immediately.
The company has appointed Colette Kress, its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as interim CEO as it begins the search for a permanent replacement. Kress will retain her finance responsibilities during the transition, with the board considering both internal and external candidates for the position.
Kress joined NVIDIA in September 2013 and has played a central role in managing the company’s finances through a period of extraordinary growth. Before joining the chipmaker, she spent nearly 25 years in senior finance positions at technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.
Her appointment offers some continuity in a company whose financial performance and strategic direction have become closely tied to the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom.
NVIDIA also announced the appointment of Harvey C. Jones as the first-ever Chair of its Board of Directors. Jones is an entrepreneur, technology executive and venture investor with more than 30 years of experience. He previously served as CEO and Executive Chairman of Synopsys.
In announcing Kress’ appointment, Jones expressed confidence in her ability to maintain the company’s momentum.
“She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA’s strategy and advancing its technology roadmap,” Jones said, adding that the board expects the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption.
Kress, in her first remarks as interim CEO, acknowledged the foundation established under Huang’s leadership and pledged to maintain the company’s focus on AI and accelerated computing.
“NVIDIA’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years,” she said.
A defining moment for the AI industry
Huang’s departure marks a significant leadership change for NVIDIA at a time when the company sits at the centre of the global AI investment boom.
Under his leadership, NVIDIA evolved from a graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer largely associated with gaming into a dominant supplier of chips powering AI systems, data centres and high-performance computing.
His exit raises questions about how the company will maintain its technological advantage, relationships with major technology customers and ambitious expansion plans without the founder at the helm.
For investors, the immediate concern will be whether the leadership transition affects execution, particularly as global technology companies continue investing heavily in AI infrastructure.
The board’s decision to appoint an experienced finance executive while searching for a permanent CEO suggests an effort to maintain operational stability during the transition.
NVIDIA has, however, given no indication of changes to its existing business strategy or product development plans.
The company is scheduled to release its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, followed by an earnings call. The results will provide investors with an opportunity to assess the company’s financial performance and hear directly from its new interim leadership.