Archive photograph: Jensen Huang at Stanford University, April 30, 2026. Credit: Anders Eidesvik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized only; not a photograph of today’s announcement.
Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia’s president, chief executive and a member of its board, effective immediately, the company announced on Thursday, November 12. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will take over as interim CEO while retaining her existing finance responsibilities.
The board will consider candidates from inside and outside Nvidia in its search for a permanent successor. It also named Harvey C. Jones as its first board chair. Jones said the leadership team was expected to maintain operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap without interruption. That is the company’s stated expectation, rather than an independent assessment of how the transition will unfold.
The announcement follows the independent directors’ November 10 decision to retain former acting U.S. attorney Joon H. Kim and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz for an investigation. Thursday’s transition announcement does not set out investigative findings or establish that any allegation has been proven.
A familiar executive takes the helm
Kress joined Nvidia as finance chief in September 2013. Her career before Nvidia included three years leading finance for Cisco’s Business Technology and Operations organization and 13 years at Microsoft, where she held senior planning and finance positions and served as CFO of its Server and Tools division. She also worked in finance at Texas Instruments.
Her appointment gives Nvidia an interim leader with long experience inside the business, but it does not settle the permanent succession question. The board’s announcement specifically leaves that process open. Kress said her priorities include customers, partners, developers and shareholders.
Nvidia said its next earnings release remains scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, followed by an earnings call. The leadership change comes before that planned financial update, giving investors a near-term opportunity to hear more from the company.
Sources: Nvidia’s November 12 leadership announcement; November 10 independent-directors statement; Kress appointment and career background.
Related reporting: Nvidia’s November 11 investigation coverage.
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