Nvidia has appointed Colette Kress, the company's chief financial officer, as interim CEO. This follows the resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang, who stepped down amid multiple allegations of extramarital affairs, including one reportedly involving an alleged Chinese spy and two with company employees.
Kress, 59, joined Nvidia in 2013 and will also continue to serve as interim CFO. She has been credited with helping to lead Nvidia through a period of significant growth, transforming it from a niche firm focused on video game chips into an AI company with a market cap of around $4tn.
The board of directors has initiated a search for a permanent successor to Huang, considering both internal and external candidates. Potential successors reportedly include Ian Buck, who manages Nvidia’s AI hardware and software products, and Rene Haas, the current CEO of UK-based chipmaker Arm Holdings and a former Nvidia employee. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, is also being named as a possible replacement.
Nvidia is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings next Tuesday.