Who Is Colette Kress? Meet Nvidia's New Interim CEO

After the sudden resignation of Jensen Huang on 12 November 2026, Nvidia turned to one of its most experienced leaders. Colette Kress, the company's chief financial officer, was named interim chief executive. For many people outside Wall Street, it was the first time they had heard her name. Yet she has been one of the most important people behind Nvidia's rise.

Here is who Colette Kress is, what she has done and what she faces now.

Colette Kress at a glance

• Current role: interim CEO and CFO of Nvidia
• At Nvidia since: September 2013
• Before Nvidia: senior finance roles at Texas Instruments, Microsoft and Cisco
• Education: bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University

Her career before Nvidia

Kress built her career in large technology companies. She worked in finance at Texas Instruments, then spent years at Microsoft in senior finance roles, and later worked at Cisco, where she led finance for a major business group. These roles gave her experience with hardware, software and enterprise customers, a useful mix for a company like Nvidia.

Her role in Nvidia's growth

When Kress joined Nvidia in 2013, it was mainly known for gaming graphics cards. Over the next decade it became the main supplier of chips for artificial intelligence. According to Al Jazeera, Nvidia's annual revenue rose from about 4.13 billion US dollars in fiscal 2014 to about 215.9 billion US dollars in fiscal 2026 during her time as CFO.

As CFO, she led the finance organisation, guided investors through quarterly results and helped manage huge investments in supply and manufacturing. Investors know her well from Nvidia's earnings calls, where she explains the numbers in detail. Forbes has listed her among America's wealthiest self-made women.

What Colette Kress said

In Nvidia's official announcement, she said Nvidia's strength has always come from its people and that she is committed to building on the foundation Jensen Huang created over 33 years. You can read the statement in Nvidia's filing with the SEC.

The challenges ahead

1. Stability. Calm employees, customers and investors after weeks of difficult headlines.
2. Trust and security. Answer questions from lawmakers and regulators about security and governance.
3. China and exports. Handle sensitive rules about selling advanced chips to China.
4. Competition. Rivals and large customers are building their own AI chips.
5. Two jobs at once. She remains CFO while serving as CEO.

Will she become the permanent CEO?

It is not yet clear. The board says it will consider internal and external candidates. Some outside voices have suggested other names. Her deep knowledge of the business and good relations with investors make her a strong candidate, but the final decision will depend on the board's search. For the full background, read our article on why Jensen Huang resigned.

Why her appointment matters

Few women lead the world's largest technology companies. Kress now runs, at least for now, one of the most valuable companies on earth. Her story also shows that finance and operations leaders can be central to a tech company's success, even if engineers and founders get more attention.

Lessons for growing businesses

Nvidia could move quickly because it had an experienced leader ready to step in. Every company, even a small one, should know who can take over key responsibilities in an emergency. Clean financial records, documented processes and good software make that transition much easier. That is why we encourage clients to move from registers to proper business software.

Frequently asked questions

How long has Colette Kress worked at Nvidia?

She joined as CFO in September 2013.

Is she still the CFO?

Yes. She continues as CFO while serving as interim CEO.

Who chairs Nvidia's board now?

Harvey C. Jones was appointed as the company's first-ever board chair.

Where did she study?

She studied finance at the University of Arizona and earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Key takeaways

• Colette Kress has been Nvidia's CFO since 2013 and is now interim CEO.
• She helped guide Nvidia through its enormous AI-driven growth.
• Her main tasks are stability, trust and choosing the next steps with the board.