Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns as company appoints Colette Kress interim CEO

Nvidia has announced the immediate resignation of its co-founder, Jensen Huang, as President and Chief Executive Officer, ending his 33-year leadership of the American semiconductor company.

The company disclosed the development in an official statement released on Thursday, November 12, 2026, confirming that Huang had also stepped down from its Board of Directors.

Nvidia’s board appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO, while Harvey C. Jones was named the company’s first-ever Chairman of the Board.

The leadership transition comes ahead of Nvidia’s third-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings announcement, scheduled for November 17, as the company seeks to maintain operational stability and investor confidence.

Nvidia appoints Colette Kress as interim CEO

According to the company, Kress will continue serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer while assuming the additional responsibilities of interim CEO.

• The board has also commenced a search for a permanent chief executive, with both internal and external candidates expected to be considered.
• Kress joined Nvidia in September 2013 and has overseen its financial operations during a period of significant expansion in artificial intelligence and accelerated computing.
• Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years in financial leadership positions at major technology companies, including Microsoft and Cisco.

Her appointment places an experienced finance executive at the helm of one of the world’s most influential semiconductor companies during a critical leadership transition.

Harvey Jones appointed Nvidia’s first board chairman

Nvidia also announced the appointment of Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever Chairman of the Board.

Jones has more than three decades of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur and venture investor, including previous leadership roles at Synopsys.

Commenting on the appointment, Jones expressed confidence in Kress and Nvidia’s existing management team, noting that the company would continue executing its technology strategy and meeting customer commitments.

He also acknowledged Huang’s contributions to Nvidia’s growth and development over the past three decades.

Kress, meanwhile, said she would build on the foundation established by Huang while maintaining the company’s focus on customers, partners, developers and shareholders.

Huang’s resignation follows days of controversy surrounding his leadership, including an investigation into allegations that he had a relationship with a woman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence.

Nvidia investigates Huang

On November 9, Nairametrics reported that Nvidia’s board had launched an independent investigation into Huang, following reports that he may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

• The investigation was intended to establish whether the alleged relationship exposed Nvidia’s confidential information or created national security risks. At the time, the company said it had no reason to believe its information or US national security had been compromised.
• The controversy also affected Huang’s personal fortune. In a separate report, Nairametrics disclosed that Huang lost $7.8 billion in 24 hours, bringing his estimated net worth to $154.4 billion as of November 9, according to Forbes. His wealth declined by 4.81%, placing him tenth on the global billionaires ranking at the time.
• Nvidia’s leadership crisis comes after years of significant growth driven by demand for artificial intelligence chips. As previously reported by Nairametrics, the company became the first publicly traded business to reach a $4 trillion valuation in July 2025. However, in July 2026, Apple overtook Nvidia as the world’s most valuable company, highlighting changing investor sentiment towards AI-related stocks.

The company is expected to report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on Tuesday, November 17, at approximately 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time, followed by an earnings conference call at 2 p.m.