After Jensen Huang’s extramarital affair caused his downfall, meet NVIDIA’s next CEO

Ms Kress said she was committed to building on the foundation Mr Huang had created over the past 33 years.

Elizabeth Jegede • November 12, 2026

Following the resignation of Jensen Huang as president, chief executive officer and board member of NVIDIA amid allegations of extramarital affairs, the company’s current executive vice-president and chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has agreed to serve as interim CEO.

Ms Kress, who will retain her position as CFO while serving as interim CEO until the appointment of a permanent successor, joined NVIDIA in September 2013.

NVIDIA describes Ms Kress as a finance executive with nearly 25 years of experience at major technology companies before joining the company in September 2013.

Before joining NVIDIA, Ms Kress served as senior vice-president and chief financial officer of Cisco’s Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation for three years. She also spent 13 years at Microsoft, where she held several senior finance positions, including CFO of its Server and Tools division.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

NVIDIA board chairman Harvey Jones said Ms Kress had helped lead the company through a period of extraordinary growth, adding that she had a deep understanding of its business, customers, operations and financial position.

“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,” Mr Jones said.

In her response, Ms Kress said she was committed to building on the foundation Mr Huang had created over the past 33 years.

“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,” she said.

Mr Huang’s resignation follows allegations of extramarital relationships involving two women, including a Chinese businesswoman suspected of having links to a foreign intelligence operation and a senior NVIDIA executive.

The board is initiating a search for a permanent CEO, with plans to consider both internal and external candidates.

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