Who is Colette Kress? Meet the woman taking charge of Nvidia after Jensen Huang's exit
Challenges ahead for Colette Kress as she leads Nvidia through uncertain times
Dubai: Colette Kress, Nvidia's longtime chief financial officer, has stepped into the spotlight after being appointed interim chief executive following the sudden resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang.
The 59-year-old executive will lead the US technology giant while its board searches for a permanent successor. She will retain her CFO responsibilities during the transition.
Kress joined Nvidia in September 2013 and has played a significant role in the company's transformation from a graphics chipmaker best known for powering video games into a global leader in artificial intelligence computing.
During her tenure, Nvidia's annual revenue grew from $4.13 billion in fiscal 2014 to $215.9 billion in fiscal 2026, according to Reuters. She has regularly appeared alongside Huang on quarterly earnings calls, explaining the company's financial performance, investments and growth strategy.
Career before Nvidia
Before joining Nvidia, Kress built an extensive career in corporate finance. She spent eight years in finance positions at Texas Instruments before moving to Microsoft, where she worked from 1997 to 2010. She subsequently held a senior finance position at Cisco before joining Nvidia.
Her experience across major technology companies has made her a familiar figure among investors and financial analysts.
The Nvidia board has publicly backed her appointment. Harvey C Jones, the company's newly appointed chairman, said Kress had helped guide Nvidia through a period of extraordinary growth and had a deep understanding of its business, customers and financial position.
A challenging transition
Her appointment comes at a difficult time for Nvidia. Huang's departure followed reports of alleged extramarital relationships and wider controversy surrounding the company. The allegations have also prompted questions about corporate oversight and national security.
Kress has previously faced reported disagreements with Huang over the company's financial and investment decisions. A Wall Street Journal report said Huang criticized her presentation during a meeting in August, reportedly describing her as 'a deer in the headlights'.
Despite the reported tensions, Kress praised the company's co-founder in a message to employees, saying she was committed to building on the foundation he had created over 33 years.
Who could become Nvidia's permanent CEO?
The board has begun considering internal and external candidates for the permanent position. Ian Buck, a longtime Nvidia executive involved in its AI computing business, has emerged as one possible internal contender.
Rene Haas, chief executive of chipmaker Arm Holdings and a former Nvidia executive, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. AMD chief executive Lisa Su has been floated in discussions, although no appointment has been announced.
Kress's immediate task will be to maintain continuity at a company central to the global AI industry while the board decides its long-term leadership.
Nvidia is scheduled to announce its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17.
With inputs from Agencies
