Who is Colette Kress? Nvidia's interim CEO holds $772 million in shares, spent 13 years as CFO
Nvidia said its board has named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO. She will retain her CFO responsibilities while the company searches for a permanent successor.
- Nov 12, 2026,
- Updated Nov 12, 2026 8:34 PM IST
Colette Kress, Nvidia's longtime chief financial officer, has been appointed interim CEO following the immediate resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang on November 12, according to a company statement provided with the report. The 58-year-old executive, who joined Nvidia in 2013, takes charge as the AI chipmaker begins searching for a permanent successor.
Kress has served as Nvidia's executive vice president and chief financial officer since September 2013, overseeing its financial operations during a period of extraordinary expansion.
Before joining Nvidia, she held senior finance positions at Cisco and Microsoft. At Cisco, she served as CFO of the Business Technology and Operations Finance division beginning in 2010.
Earlier, Kress spent approximately 13 years at Microsoft, including serving as CFO of its Server and Tools division from 2006.
Her extensive experience in technology finance and familiarity with Nvidia's operations make her a key figure in the company's leadership transition.
Nvidia shares worth $772 million
According to Nvidia's proxy filings cited in the accompanying financial disclosures, Kress owned approximately 4.44 million Nvidia shares as of March 23, 2026.
MUST READ: Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO with immediate effect; Colette Kress named interim chief
At the November 11 closing price of $173.73, those holdings were valued at approximately $772 million.
For comparison, Huang held approximately 870.6 million shares, highlighting the substantial difference in their ownership stakes.
The filings also show that Kress adopted a Rule 10b5-1 share-sale plan on June 16, 2026, covering 375,439 shares through December 14, 2027.
An earlier plan covering 500,000 shares was terminated on April 10, 2026, without any shares being sold.
DO READ: Nvidia shares: Domestic passive funds take hit as stock slides 27% in just over a month
What changes at Nvidia?
According to the supplied November 12 announcement, Kress will continue serving as executive vice president and CFO while assuming interim CEO responsibilities.
Nvidia's board has initiated a search for a permanent chief executive and will consider both internal and external candidates.
The company also announced Harvey C. Jones as its first board chair.
“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position,” Jones said.
Kress, meanwhile, pledged continuity following Huang's departure.
“We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead,” she said.
The leadership transition comes ahead of Nvidia's scheduled third-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings announcement on November 17.
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Colette Kress, Nvidia's longtime chief financial officer, has been appointed interim CEO following the immediate resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang on November 12, according to a company statement provided with the report. The 58-year-old executive, who joined Nvidia in 2013, takes charge as the AI chipmaker begins searching for a permanent successor.
Kress has served as Nvidia's executive vice president and chief financial officer since September 2013, overseeing its financial operations during a period of extraordinary expansion.
Before joining Nvidia, she held senior finance positions at Cisco and Microsoft. At Cisco, she served as CFO of the Business Technology and Operations Finance division beginning in 2010.
Earlier, Kress spent approximately 13 years at Microsoft, including serving as CFO of its Server and Tools division from 2006.
Her extensive experience in technology finance and familiarity with Nvidia's operations make her a key figure in the company's leadership transition.
Nvidia shares worth $772 million
According to Nvidia's proxy filings cited in the accompanying financial disclosures, Kress owned approximately 4.44 million Nvidia shares as of March 23, 2026.
MUST READ: Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO with immediate effect; Colette Kress named interim chief
At the November 11 closing price of $173.73, those holdings were valued at approximately $772 million.
For comparison, Huang held approximately 870.6 million shares, highlighting the substantial difference in their ownership stakes.
The filings also show that Kress adopted a Rule 10b5-1 share-sale plan on June 16, 2026, covering 375,439 shares through December 14, 2027.
An earlier plan covering 500,000 shares was terminated on April 10, 2026, without any shares being sold.
DO READ: Nvidia shares: Domestic passive funds take hit as stock slides 27% in just over a month
What changes at Nvidia?
According to the supplied November 12 announcement, Kress will continue serving as executive vice president and CFO while assuming interim CEO responsibilities.
Nvidia's board has initiated a search for a permanent chief executive and will consider both internal and external candidates.
The company also announced Harvey C. Jones as its first board chair.
“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position,” Jones said.
Kress, meanwhile, pledged continuity following Huang's departure.
“We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead,” she said.
The leadership transition comes ahead of Nvidia's scheduled third-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings announcement on November 17.
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