Colette Kress will lead NVIDIA, the world’s biggest chipmaker, after Jensen Huang resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of NVIDIA with immediate effect, an official note said on Friday.
Kress will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor has been named.
Earlier, NVIDIA initiated a probe against Huang following an investigation initiated against him after an alleged espionage involving an extramarital relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and allegedly a suspected Chinese intelligence asset.
The board of directors appointed Colette Kress, current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer.
“Kress has agreed to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer,” an official statement said.
Who Is Colette Kress?
Colette Kress is currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at NVIDIA, the designation she has held since joining the company in September 2013. During her tenure, she has led the company’s finance organisation and has played a key role in NVIDIA’s growth and evolution.
Before joining NVIDIA, Kress spent nearly 25 years in finance roles at leading technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.
The official noted that Kress will continue to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in addition to serving as Interim CEO until a permanent successor has been named.
“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,” said Colette Kress, Interim CEO and CFO, NVIDIA.
“We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders,” he added.
Harvey C. Jones Appointed as Chair Of Board
Meanwhile, Harvey C. Jones has been appointed as the company's first-ever Chair of the Board.
“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position,” said Harvey Jones, Chair of the NVIDIA Board of Directors.
“She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA’s strategy and advancing its technology roadmap,” Jones said.
Meanwhile, the company noted that Jensen’s contributions to NVIDIA are profound and thanked him for his immeasurable contributions to the company and the industry.