Nvidia’s interim CEO Colette, board chair Harvey break silence in emails to staff: Here's what they said?

After Nvidia's founder Jensen Huang resigned as CEO, new interim CEO Colette Kress and board chair Harvey Jones wrote emails to employees on Thursday (November 11) expressing gratitude and optimism for the future. The move comes amid the controversy surrounding Jensen Huang, who resigned following revelations of two extramarital affairs. One of the alleged relationships was with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset, while the other involved a company executive.

“The Board, Estaff and I recognise that this has been an extraordinarily difficult period and I want you to know how grateful we are for your resilience, professionalism and continued dedication,” Kress wrote in her email. CNBC obtained copies of the emails from a source familiar with the matter.

"This company has achieved so much because of the work that all of you bring to it every single day. You are our greatest strength. You will hear more from leadership in the coming days about our future together, and we will host a company meeting on November 18 at 9 am PT," she added in the email.

In a similar tone, the board chair Harvey Jones praised Kress in his email as “a key architect of NVIDIA’s growth and capital strategy.” “The Board has asked our Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress to serve as interim CEO while it conducts a search for a permanent successor, looking at both internal and external candidates. I will serve as the first-ever Chair of the Board,” Jones wrote.

"As CFO for over 13 years, Colette has been a key architect of NVIDIA’s growth and capital strategy. She possesses a deep understanding of this business and the markets in which we operate. The Board has full confidence in Colette to deliver on our commitments to shareholders, customers, partners, and to each of you," he further wrote.

Trump backs Tim Cook to replace Jensen

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Thursday (November 12) suggested that former Apple CEO Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang as the head of Nvidia after Jensen Huang resigned following revelations of two extramarital affairs. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Huang's performance, describing him as having done a ‘fantastic job’, before declaring that there was "only one man" suited to succeed him: Apple's Tim Cook.

Since at least 2025, the relationship between Huang and Trump has strengthened, developing into one of the closest partnerships between the Trump administration and Silicon Valley. Over the past two years, Huang has repeatedly supported the White House's agenda and maintained a regular presence in Washington, advocating for Nvidia's ability to sell advanced semiconductors to the Chinese market.