Nvidia's board is weighing Jensen Huang's future, with Colette Kress considered for interim leadership. The deliberations follow reports concerning Huang's personal relationships and broader governance questions.Nvidia has launched an independent investigation after CEO Jensen Huang admitted infidelity.
Nvidia's chief financial officer Colette Kress could take charge of the chipmaker as interim chief executive if its founder and CEO Jensen Huang is removed or steps down, with the company's board meeting to discuss his future amid a growing controversy over his personal relationships, reported Bloomberg.According to Bloomberg Technology Editor Vlad Savov, the board appears to be considering Kress as an interim leader who could oversee the search for a permanent successor. This is not a confirmed appointment, and Nvidia has not announced a decision on Huang's future.The leadership crisis comes as the board weighs reports of two extramarital relationships involving Huang.
Nvidia shares fell more than 8% in extended trading on Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the board was preparing to oust him.Kress, who has been Nvidia's chief financial officer since September 2013, is one of the company's longest-serving senior executives. She has spent nearly 25 years in finance roles across major technology companies, including Microsoft and Cisco, before joining the AI chipmaker.
WHO IS COLETTE KRESS?Kress is executive vice-president and chief financial officer at Nvidia. She joined the company in September 2013, bringing with her nearly 25 years of experience in finance and corporate management.Before Nvidia, she spent three years as senior vice-president and CFO of Cisco's Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation.
In that role, she was responsible for financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development across the company's business segments, engineering and operations. Before Cisco, Kress spent 13 years at Microsoft.
Her roles included serving as the CFO of its Server and Tools division for four years, apart from other senior positions in corporate planning and finance.She began her career at Texas Instruments, where she held several finance positions.Kress holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.Her long tenure at Nvidia and experience managing the financial operations of large technology companies could make her a natural choice to oversee the company during a leadership transition. However, taking over as interim CEO would not necessarily mean she is the board's choice for the permanent position.WHY JENSEN HUANG COULD LOSE CEO'S ROLE?The leadership uncertainty follows reports of two extramarital relationships involving Huang, which have triggered questions about corporate governance, national security and his position at the company he co-founded.The first controversy emerged after reports linked Huang to Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed International.
The New York Times reported that US intelligence agencies believed she had been gathering information for China.The allegations have raised concerns about whether the relationship could have exposed Nvidia to risks involving sensitive business information and chip shipments to China. Alice Huang's alleged links to Chinese intelligence have not been independently established, and China has rejected the accusations as unsubstantiated.Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, apologised to his family and colleagues, and said he would cooperate with the company's investigation.Nvidia's board subsequently announced an independent investigation, overseen by a committee of independent directors and outside counsel.
The company said it had no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia's secrets had been compromised.The controversy intensified on Wednesday after The New York Times reported a second alleged relationship, this time with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice-president of healthcare, who reportedly reported to Huang.The newspaper cited five people who had worked at the company. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, while Nvidia and Powell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that Nvidia's board was preparing to meet to determine Huang's future.
Reuters also reported that the board was meeting to decide whether to remove him.WHO ELSE COULD BE IN THE SUCCESSION PICTURE?The question of succession has also brought attention to Huang's family members working at Nvidia.His daughter Madison Huang is a senior director of product marketing, while his son Spencer Huang works in product management in the company's robotics business. Both received more than $1 million in total compensation in fiscal 2026, according to Nvidia's proxy statement.His son-in-law Nico Caprez is also a vice-president at Nvidia, overseeing global AI infrastructure growth.
His compensation has not been publicly disclosed.However, there is no publicly announced succession plan naming any of them as potential replacements for Huang. The immediate question remains whether the board will retain the founder or appoint an interim leader while it considers the company's long-term leadership.- Ends