Colette Kress, Nvidia finanace chief for over a decade, replaces Jensen Huang as interim CEO

Colette Kress, Nvidia’s longtime finance chief, has been named interim CEO after Jensen Huang stepped down with immediate effect, bringing his 33-year tenure at the company to an end amid a widening scandal. Huang stepped down as president, CEO and board member following revelations that he had two extramarital affairs, one of which involved a woman accused of spying for China.Colette Kress's appointment was announced on Thursday, following Huang’s resignation. (LinkedIn/Colette Kress)Kress’s appointment was announced on Thursday, following Huang’s resignation. The company’s board said it has initiated a search for a permanent CEO and will consider both internal and external candidates.“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. The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption,” he added.(Also Read: Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO amid Alice Huang controversy)Who is Colette Kress?Colette Kress has served as Nvidia’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since joining the company in September 2013. During her tenure, she has led the company’s finance organisation and played a key role in its growth and evolution, according to a press release announcing Jensen Huang’s resignation.Before joining Nvidia, Kress spent nearly 25 years in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco, Microsoft and Texas Instruments.According to Nvidia’s official site, Kress previously served for three years as senior vice president and CFO of Cisco’s Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation. In the role, she was responsible for financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development across all business segments, engineering and operations.Prior to Cisco, Kress spent 13 years at Microsoft, including four years as CFO of its Server and Tools division. She also held several senior positions in corporate planning and finance at the company. Earlier in her career, she also worked at Texas Instruments, where she held various finance positions.Kress holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.(Also Read: Jensen Huang’s two children, Madison and Spencer Huang, earn over $1 million each at Nvidia)What did Colette Kress say after her appointment?In a press note, Kress said she was committed to building on the foundation laid by Huang over the past 33 years and continuing Nvidia’s work in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.“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,” Kress said.“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,” she added.