The key facts

  • Colette Kress, Nvidia's CFO for the past 13 years, has been appointed interim CEO following Jensen Huang's resignation
  • Nvidia shares fell more than 10% in premarket trading after the announcement of Huang's departure
  • On November 17, Nvidia is due to publish its quarterly report — the first major test for Kress

The second chapter in Nvidia's history

Colette Kress, who has served as Nvidia's chief financial officer for the past 13 years, has been appointed interim chief executive officer after company co-founder Jensen Huang resigned amid a scandal involving an affair with an alleged Chinese spy. Anadolu reports.

Who is Colette Kress

Kress is only the second person to lead Nvidia since the company's founding in 1993 and the first woman in the role. She will retain the CFO position and run the company until the board of directors selects a permanent successor; according to her, the board is considering candidates both from within Nvidia and externally.

Career path

Kress earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Texas. She began her career at Texas Instruments, where she spent eight years in finance roles, then moved to Microsoft in 1997, where over 13 years she held senior positions in planning and finance, including four years as CFO of the Server and Tools division. In 2010 she joined Cisco as senior vice president and CFO of Business Technology and Operations Finance, and in September 2013 Nvidia hired her as executive vice president and CFO after a two-year search. At the time, the company was known mainly for graphics chips for video games.

The financial voice of the AI era

As CFO, Kress was responsible for financial strategy, reporting and investor relations, becoming the company's main voice on quarterly earnings calls as revenue grew on demand for its artificial intelligence chips. Analysts widely credit her with building Wall Street's confidence in the company during its meteoric rise. In 2026, Fortune ranked her 49th on its list of the most influential women in business, and in July 2025, when Nvidia's market capitalization exceeded $4 trillion, Bloomberg included her among the company's billionaires — a rare achievement for a CFO.

A difficult start

Kress takes over the company at a turbulent moment: on Thursday, after the announcement of Huang's departure, Nvidia shares fell more than 10% in premarket trading, and the company faces questions from investors and US lawmakers over the scandal. The first major test will come on November 17, when Nvidia, as planned, will publish its quarterly results: investors will be looking for assurances of the company's stability, as well as news on the search for a chief executive and on its business in China. The board of directors said it expects uninterrupted continuation of operations, commitments to customers and the product roadmap under Kress's leadership.