Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO; Colette Kress Named Interim Chief
By Evander Thorne · November 12, 2026
Table of contents
- Colette Kress takes control while Nvidia searches for a permanent CEO
- The resignation follows an investigation announced by Nvidia's board
- What Huang's departure means for Nvidia's leadership
- Nvidia faces a leadership change during a sensitive period for AI infrastructure
- Harvey Jones becomes Nvidia's first board chairman
- What happens next at Nvidia?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive officer and a member of Nvidia’s board, effective immediately, the company announced on November 12, 2026.
Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress will take over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor, bringing an abrupt leadership change to the company at the center of the global artificial intelligence boom.
The departure follows a turbulent week involving reports about Huang’s personal relationships and allegations concerning a Chinese businesswoman suspected by U.S. authorities of having links to Chinese intelligence.
Nvidia’s board had announced an independent investigation on November 8, saying it had no reason to believe that U.S. national security or company secrets had been compromised.
The company’s resignation announcement did not identify a reason for Huang’s departure.
Huang’s resignation removes the executive who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led it through the transformation from a graphics-chip manufacturer into one of the most influential companies in AI infrastructure.
He is also leaving the board, meaning the transition is broader than a routine change in the company's executive leadership.
Colette Kress takes control while Nvidia searches for a permanent CEO
Nvidia appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive.
She will retain her position as executive vice president and chief financial officer while performing the CEO role, until the board names a permanent replacement.
Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013.
Before joining the company, she held senior finance positions at Cisco and Microsoft, giving her extensive experience in the technology industry and in managing the financial operations of large public companies.
The board said it will consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent position.
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It has not announced a shortlist, selection timetable or expected date for the appointment.
The company also appointed Harvey C.
Jones as chairman of the board.
Jones has served as a Nvidia director since 1993 and is a longtime technology executive and investor.
His appointment establishes a separate board leadership role as Kress assumes day-to-day executive responsibility.
The distinction between interim CEO and board chairman is important.
Kress is responsible for leading the company’s executive operations, while Jones will lead the board as directors oversee the search for Huang’s successor.
The resignation follows an investigation announced by Nvidia's board
Nvidia’s board disclosed on November 8 that it had opened an independent investigation following reports that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.
The investigation is being overseen by a committee of independent directors with assistance from outside independent legal counsel.
In its statement, the board said it had no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia’s confidential information had been compromised.
Huang had agreed to cooperate with the review.
The investigation followed reporting about Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman connected to Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. U.S. authorities reportedly suspect that she passed information to Beijing, an allegation that has not been established publicly through a criminal conviction.
China has denied the intelligence allegations.
Reports also described a separate relationship involving a Nvidia employee.
These accounts have placed the CEO’s personal conduct under scrutiny, but they should not be confused with a confirmed finding that company information was transferred to a foreign government.
The board’s November 12 announcement did not say that the investigation had concluded, did not publish its findings and did not explicitly connect the investigation to Huang’s resignation.
The timing has made the two developments central to the same story, but the company has not formally stated that one caused the other.
What Huang's departure means for Nvidia's leadership
Huang’s exit is unusually consequential because Nvidia has been led by the same co-founder since it was established.
He was not simply the public face of the company: he helped define its product direction, its accelerated-computing strategy and its expansion into the infrastructure now used to train and run advanced AI systems.
Nvidia’s business has grown far beyond its original graphics-processing market.
Its GPUs, networking products and software platforms have become essential components of large-scale AI data centers.
Major cloud providers and technology companies rely on Nvidia hardware to build and operate AI services, making the company's executive decisions relevant across the wider technology industry.
That scale makes the succession question particularly important.
Investors and customers will want to know whether the next permanent CEO intends to maintain the company's existing product roadmap, investment priorities and relationships with major customers.
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For now, Nvidia has not announced a strategic shift.
The board's statement focuses on the leadership transition, while Kress is expected to serve in both executive positions until a permanent CEO is appointed.
The company has not disclosed whether the next chief executive will come from inside Nvidia or be recruited from another organization.
Nvidia faces a leadership change during a sensitive period for AI infrastructure
The transition comes as Nvidia faces growing scrutiny over the international distribution and use of its advanced processors.
Recent reporting about Megaspeed has raised questions about how Nvidia chips are supplied to overseas data center operators and whether computing capacity can be accessed by customers in jurisdictions subject to U.S. export restrictions.
Nvidia's board had already said that its independent investigation would examine the foreign intelligence concerns, while stating that it had no reason to believe company secrets or national security information had been compromised.
The distinction between the company's commercial activities and the allegations surrounding individuals is important.
The reports do not establish that Nvidia knowingly participated in unlawful chip transfers or that its technology was compromised.
Those questions require evidence and, where applicable, findings from the relevant investigations.
The leadership change nevertheless creates an additional governance challenge.
Nvidia must maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, regulators and investors while the board handles the CEO succession and the independent investigation.
For customers building AI infrastructure, continuity in product development and supply commitments will be closely watched.
Nvidia has not announced that Huang's resignation will delay products, change delivery commitments or alter its existing customer agreements.
Harvey Jones becomes Nvidia's first board chairman
Alongside Huang’s departure, Nvidia appointed Harvey C.
Jones as chairman of the board.
Jones has been associated with Nvidia since its founding period and has served as a director since 1993.
He is also the managing partner of Square Wave Ventures and has a background in technology management and venture investment.
The appointment gives the board a designated chair as it oversees the search for a permanent CEO.
It also separates the chairman's oversight responsibilities from Kress's interim executive role.
Nvidia has not announced any broader board restructuring or changes to its other senior executive appointments as part of the transition.
What happens next at Nvidia?
The immediate priority is the search for a permanent chief executive.
Nvidia says the board will consider both internal and external candidates, but it has not identified potential successors or provided a deadline.
Kress will continue as CFO while serving as interim CEO.
That arrangement preserves financial leadership during the transition, although the company has not said how long it expects the interim period to last.
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Nvidia's next financial update is also approaching.
The company is scheduled to report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on November 17, 2026.
The results and management commentary will give investors an opportunity to assess the company's operating performance during the leadership change, although the company has not said whether the CEO transition will alter the earnings schedule.
The central unanswered questions are who will permanently replace Huang, whether the board's investigation will produce further disclosures, and how the new leadership will manage Nvidia's relationships with customers and regulators.
Huang's resignation is confirmed.
The reasons behind it, beyond the timing and surrounding reporting, have not been formally detailed by Nvidia.
Until the company or the board provides further information, the distinction between the confirmed leadership decision and the allegations surrounding the preceding events remains essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Jensen Huang resign as Nvidia CEO?
Who is replacing Jensen Huang at Nvidia?
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
Is Colette Kress Nvidia's permanent CEO?
Has Jensen Huang left Nvidia's board?
Who is Nvidia's new board chairman?
Will Jensen Huang's resignation affect Nvidia's AI products?
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