PROFILE - Colette Kress: The woman steering Nvidia through leadership crisis

Colette Kress, Nvidia's chief financial officer for the last 13 years, was named interim chief executive on Thursday after co-founder Jensen Huang resigned amid an affair scandal involving a suspected Chinese spy.

Kress has become only the second person to lead Nvidia since its founding in 1993, and the first woman in that role. She will remain CFO and run the company until the board names a permanent successor. The board said it will consider candidates from inside and outside Nvidia.

"I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created," Kress said in the company's statement announcing the change.

- From Texas Instruments to Nvidia

Kress holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Texas.

She began her career at Texas Instruments, where she spent eight years in finance roles, before moving to Microsoft in 1997. During her 13 years there, Kress held senior planning and finance posts, including four years as chief financial officer of the company's Server and Tools division.

In 2010, she joined Cisco as senior vice president and finance chief of its Business Technology and Operations Finance organization.

Nvidia hired her as executive vice president and CFO in September 2013, ending a two-year search. At the time, the company was known mainly for graphics chips used in video games.

- Steady hand behind AI boom

As CFO, Kress oversaw Nvidia's financial strategy, reporting and investor relations, becoming the company's main voice on its quarterly earnings calls as revenue soared on demand for its artificial intelligence chips.

Analysts have widely credited her with helping build Wall Street's trust in the company during its rapid rise. Fortune magazine ranked her 49th on its 2026 list of the most powerful women in business.

Her Nvidia shares also made her a billionaire, a rare achievement for a chief financial officer. Bloomberg listed her among Nvidia's billionaire executives in July 2025, when the company's market value surpassed $4 trillion.

- Tough test ahead

Kress takes charge at a turbulent moment. Nvidia shares fell more than 10% in premarket trading Thursday after Huang's exit was announced, and the company faces questions from investors and US lawmakers about the scandal.

Her first major test comes on Nov. 17, when Nvidia is scheduled to report quarterly results. Investors will look to her for reassurance about the company's stability, as well as updates on the leadership search and its business in China.

The board said it expects Nvidia's operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption under Kress’ leadership.