Nvidia has named Colette Kress as its interim chief executive following the resignation of Jensen Huang, who stepped down after reports emerged of an alleged affair with a woman identified by U.S. intelligence as a Chinese spy asset.
The company's board said it is weighing both internal and external candidates to take over the role permanently, leaving Kress to steer one of the world's most valuable chipmakers during a period of intense scrutiny.
Kress is hardly a newcomer to Nvidia. She has spent 13 years at the company and currently serves as its chief financial officer, a role that has put her alongside Huang on past earnings calls. Before joining Nvidia, she built her career in finance positions at Cisco, Microsoft and Texas Instruments.
Those who have worked with her speak highly of her approach. Current and former colleagues have described Kress as knowledgeable, thoughtful and clear-headed, according to CNBC.
In a statement, Kress signaled continuity rather than upheaval, saying she was committed to carrying forward the work Huang began. "We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders," she said.
Her appointment follows Huang's resignation after news broke of two extramarital affairs. One of the relationships was with a woman named Alice Huang, no relation to the former CEO, who is believed to have been working on behalf of China in an effort to obtain information about U.S. artificial intelligence chip technology.
China has denied the allegation that it was targeting Jensen Huang, who has been described as a key ally of President Trump.
The fallout has been swift on multiple fronts. Nvidia's stock slid nearly 15 percent on the news of Huang's resignation, and lawmakers have opened investigations into whether U.S. technology or national security were compromised.
For now, Kress takes the helm of a company at the center of the global AI race, tasked with reassuring investors and employees alike while the board searches for a permanent successor.
