Colette Kress, the CFO who challenged Huang’s bets, is Nvidia’s interim CEO

Colette Kress, Nvidia's CFO who often challenged CEO Jensen Huang's ambitious and risky decisions, has been appointed interim CEO as the company searches for a permanent successor. Huang stepped down from his role at the chipmaker, which he co-founded and led for three decades, amid a scandal involving a suspected Chinese spy. Kress, 59, has a long history at other tech giants such as Microsoft, Cisco, and Texas Instruments, and is described by colleagues as a calming presence in contrast to Huang's confrontational style.

As interim CEO, Kress is expected to help stabilize markets and approach the U.S. government more like other tech companies, building capital and forming relationships rather than engaging in confrontations over export controls. However, some industry experts question whether a finance executive is the right choice to lead Nvidia's technological risk-taking.

Nvidia's shares dropped 14% after Huang's resignation, but closed down only 4.3%. Potential candidates for the permanent CEO role include Nvidia executive Ian Buck and AMD CEO Lisa Su.