Who is Colette Kress? Meet Nvidia's new interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigns

Colette Kress, Nvidia’s longtime chief financial officer, has been appointed interim chief executive officer by the company’s board of directors. Kress joined Nvidia in 2013 and has worked closely with Jensen Huang as the company evolved from a niche graphics processor manufacturer serving the video game industry into a major player in the artificial intelligence boom. Before joining Nvidia, she held positions at Cisco and Microsoft. Kress earned an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. She will continue serving as Nvidia’s finance chief while taking on the interim CEO position.

A close working relationship with Jensen Huang

Before hiring Kress as CFO, Jensen Huang interviewed 22 candidates for the position. At the time, Kress’s young sons, who were enthusiastic gamers, encouraged her to join Nvidia. During her first week at the company, Kress asked Huang how long he expected her to remain in the role. “I said, ‘For as long as we shall live and death do us part,’” Mr. Jensen said in a podcast appearance this year.

Concerns over Nvidia's business in China

During her tenure as chief financial officer, Kress raised concerns about the financial consequences of US policies restricting Nvidia’s sales to China. In 2023, she told financial analysts during an earnings call that China represented between 20 and 25 percent of Nvidia’s data center revenue. She also warned that the restrictions could have consequences beyond lost sales, potentially strengthening Nvidia’s competitors in the Chinese market.

Also Read: Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO effective immediately, company announces; Colette Kress to serve as interim CEO

Nvidia's key liaison with Wall Street

As CFO, one of Kress’s primary responsibilities was maintaining communication with Wall Street and Nvidia’s investors. During quarterly earnings calls, she consistently delivered an optimistic outlook as Nvidia’s revenue and share price climbed sharply. The company's sales stood at $4.28 billion in 2013. By its most recent fiscal year, annual revenue had grown to $215.9 billion.

Colette Kress's personal wealth

Kress has also benefited financially from Nvidia’s dramatic rise in stock value. According to the company's most recent annual report, she owned approximately 4.44 million Nvidia shares, valued at around $772 million.