NVIDIA is preparing for a new era of leadership after co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as president and chief executive officer, ending his 33-year tenure at the helm of the artificial intelligence and semiconductor giant. The company has appointed longtime CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO while its board begins searching for a permanent successor.

In a press release published today, November 12, 2026, NVIDIA confirmed that Huang had resigned as president, CEO, and a member of the company’s board of directors, with the departure taking effect immediately. The announcement marks a major turning point for a company that has become one of the most influential players in the global technology industry.

Kress, who has served as NVIDIA’s executive vice president and chief financial officer since September 2013, will assume the interim CEO role while retaining her existing finance responsibilities. NVIDIA’s board said it will consider both internal and external candidates as it searches for a permanent replacement.

The company has not announced a timeline for completing the CEO search.

Colette Kress takes over as interim CEO

Kress steps into the leadership position after more than a decade overseeing NVIDIA’s finances and playing a significant role in its expansion.

She joined the company in September 2013, bringing nearly 25 years of previous experience in finance positions at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft. During her time at NVIDIA, she has led its finance organization through a period of substantial growth as demand for its graphics processors and AI computing platforms expanded across the technology industry.

Importantly, her appointment does not mean NVIDIA is immediately replacing its existing financial leadership. Kress will continue serving as CFO alongside her interim CEO responsibilities until the board selects a permanent successor.

Harvey C. Jones, who has been appointed NVIDIA’s first-ever chair of the board, expressed confidence in Kress and the company’s existing leadership team.

According to Jones, Kress has a deep understanding of NVIDIA’s business, customers, operations, and financial position. He also indicated that the company expects its operations, customer commitments, and product roadmap to continue without interruption during the transition.

Kress said her focus will remain on advancing NVIDIA’s work in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence while maintaining relationships with customers, partners, developers, and shareholders.

Harvey C. Jones becomes NVIDIA’s first board chair

Alongside the CEO transition, NVIDIA has appointed Harvey C. Jones as the first-ever chair of its board of directors.

Jones brings more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, technology executive, and venture investor. His previous leadership positions include serving as chief executive officer and executive chairman of Synopsys, a major company in the semiconductor design software industry.

The appointment gives NVIDIA a newly defined board leadership position at the same time the company begins its search for a permanent CEO.

The board will oversee the succession process and evaluate potential candidates from within NVIDIA and outside the company.

The end of Jensen Huang’s 33-year leadership

Huang’s departure closes an extraordinary chapter in NVIDIA’s history.

He co-founded NVIDIA in April 1993 alongside Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The company initially focused on graphics processing technology, helping transform computer graphics and gaming through the development of increasingly powerful GPUs.

Over the years, NVIDIA expanded well beyond its original gaming and graphics business. Its GPUs became essential tools for scientific computing, data centers, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The company’s CUDA software platform and accelerated computing technologies helped establish the foundation for its position in the modern AI industry.

Huang became one of the most recognizable executives in technology, frequently appearing at major industry events in his trademark black leather jacket. Under his leadership, NVIDIA evolved from a graphics-chip manufacturer into a central supplier of the computing infrastructure powering the AI boom.

His resignation therefore represents more than an ordinary executive departure. The next CEO will inherit a company with enormous influence over the development and deployment of artificial intelligence, as well as significant expectations from customers, investors, and the wider technology industry.

What happens to NVIDIA next?

For now, NVIDIA is emphasizing continuity rather than an immediate change in business direction.

Kress will lead the company on an interim basis, supported by its existing executive team. The board has said that product development, customer commitments, and business operations are expected to continue without interruption.

That reassurance will be particularly important for cloud providers, AI developers, enterprise customers, and technology companies that depend on NVIDIA’s GPUs and software ecosystem.

The timing also matters. NVIDIA is scheduled to report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, 2026, at approximately 1:20 pm Pacific Time, followed by an earnings call at 2 pm Pacific Time. The company says the results announcement will proceed as previously scheduled.

The upcoming earnings report will give investors an early opportunity to hear from the company’s interim leadership during this transition.

NVIDIA has not named a permanent successor, and it remains unclear who will eventually take over the role Huang held for more than three decades. What is certain is that the company is entering a new leadership chapter at a particularly consequential moment for the AI industry.