NVIDIA Leadership Crisis: Jensen Huang Steps Down, Harvey Jones Becomes Board Chair

NVIDIA co-founder Jensen Huang has stepped down from his role as President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a Director on the Board of Directors immediately on November 12, 2026. NVIDIA has now appointed Colette Kress, its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as Interim CEO while they search for a new permanent CEO. Longstanding board member and former executive at Synopsys, Harvey C. Jones, has been appointed to the first-ever role of Chair of the Board.

NVIDIA Announces Leadership Changes

The following news was announced by the NVIDIA Board of Directors,

• Jensen Huang – Resigned as President, CEO and Director
• Colette Kress – Appointed Interim CEO.
• Harvey C. Jones – Appointed first-ever Chair of the Board.

Board Will Search For થે Permanent CEO.

The company said that its business, customers and roadmap are unaffected and will continue as normal.

Who Is Colette Kress?

Interim CEO, Executive Vice President & CFO.

Colette Kress has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2013. She has been instrumental in overseeing NVIDIA’s finances as the company has expanded in the accelerated computing and AI space.

• Joined: September 2013.
• Role: Interim CEO and CFO.
• Experience: Over nearly 25 years experience in finance roles at tech companies like Cisco and Microsoft.

Will act as Interim CEO until permanent replacement is found.

Kress will oversee operations at the company and will have the support of the current leadership team.

Who Is Harvey C. Jones?

Chair of the Board.

Harvey C. Jones is an entrepreneur, tech executive and venture capitalist with over 30 years’ experience. He was formerly CEO and Executive Chairman of Synopsys.

This is the first time that NVIDIA has appointed the role of Chair of the Board as Jones has been a longstanding board member.

Why Did Jensen Huang Step Down?

According to the official statement from NVIDIA, Jensen Huang has stepped down. However, there were a number of controversies surrounding him that have led to his stepping down.

1. Controversy With Alice Huang

There have been reports linking Jensen to Alice Huang, a former senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed International. The two are unrelated.

Alice Huang was reportedly suspected by US intelligence officials to be linked to Chinese intelligence. Megaspeed was also investigated for helping China acquire advanced AI chips that are under US export control.

On the 8th November 2026 The NVIDIA board announced that an independent investigation has been formed to look into the claims that Jensen may have been targeted by foreign intelligence. This is being led by independent directors and outside legal advisors.

The company stated that there was no reason to believe that any US national security or classified information was compromised. However, Jensen has stated that he will fully co-operate.

2. Reports Of Second Relationship

According to an article published by The New York Times on 11th November 2026, Jensen had a second relationship with Kimberly Powell who is Vice-President of Healthcare at NVIDIA. Powell is said to have reported directly to Huang.

The article referenced sources close to the situation, however, this is different to Jensen’s public admission of infidelity.

In a message to staff on November 8th, Jensen apologised to his wife for being unfaithful and admitted that he had caused pain to his family. He added that he supported the independent investigation.

3. Concerns Around US-China Tech And National Security

The controversy has highlighted how NVIDIA plays a key role in the US-China battle for advanced AI technology.

Huang has previously spoken publicly about wanting to keep access to the Chinese market, but NVIDIA have been under scrutiny for exporting advanced AI chips. The investigation into the targeting by foreign intelligence has raised questions around how corporate leaders are linked to exports of technology and national security.

Why Jensen Huang Leaving Matters

Jensen Huang has had a huge influence on NVIDIA, with the company becoming a key supplier of GPUs and computing infrastructure for advanced AI systems. His leaving raises questions around how NVIDIA will invest and partner moving forward.

NVIDIA’s Investment In AI Ecosystem

NVIDIA have invested in a number of companies involved in AI development,

• OpenAI and Anthropic – AI companies involved in developing advanced AI models.
• CoreWeave – Cloud computing company.
• Synopsys – Semiconductor design software company where NVIDIA reportedly invested $2 billion in 2025.

These links between chip makers, cloud computing companies and AI development has raised questions among analysts around potential risks with funding and investment.