Who is Colette Kress? Meet the new interim CEO of one of the world’s most powerful companies

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, announced his resignation on Thursday following revelations of his extramarital affair with an alleged Chinese spy. This led to the search for a new interim CEO, which has been taken up by Colette Kress, Nvidia's executive vice president and CFO.

Kress's role as interim CEO will continue until a permanent CEO is appointed. The company's board is currently initiating a search for a new CEO, considering both internal and external candidates, but has not provided a timeline for this process.

Colette Kress, who has been with Nvidia since 2013, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Prior to joining Nvidia, she held various finance roles at tech companies, including Cisco, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments, for 25 years. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona and an MBA from SMU.

Kress's background in finance, coupled with her deep understanding of Nvidia's operations, sets her apart from Huang, who is an electrical engineer by trade. She has been instrumental in explaining Nvidia's growth, particularly in the AI industry, to Wall Street and investors. Kress was selected as CFO after a two-year search, and was reportedly encouraged to take the role by her children, who are video game fans.

In 2025, she became one of the few CFOs to join the billionaire ranks, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.