Who Is Colette Kress? Biography, Education, Career and Role at NVIDIA

Nvidia has appointed Colette Kress as its interim chief executive officer (CEO), following Jensen Huang’s reported resignation from the top position. Kress, who has served as the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) since 2013, will take charge of the California-based chipmaker during a challenging period for the company.

Who is Colette Kress?

Colette M. Kress is an American business executive and financial professional who currently acts as the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NVIDIA.

Kress was appointed as interim CEO on 12 November 2026 after Jensen Huang, co-founder and long-standing CEO, stepped down. The Nvidia board has now begun the search for a new permanent CEO from inside or outside of the company.

In addition to acting as interim CEO, Kress will continue to oversee the financial operations of the company. The board have stated they are confident in her understanding of the business, customers, operations and financial situation.

Facts About Colette Kress

Colette Kress Education

Kress has a B.Sc in Finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Her education in finance and business administration has allowed her to develop a career in financial management. SMU stated that she graduated from their Professional MBA programme in 1996.

Colette Kress Career

Prior to joining NVIDIA, Kress has many years of experience in finance and management roles within some of the largest technology companies. These roles have focused on financial planning, strategy, reporting, business and management.

1. Texas Instruments

• Kress started her career in finance at Texas Instruments.

2. Microsoft

• Kress spent around 13 years at Microsoft in various senior roles within corporate planning and finance.
• She also held the role of Chief Financial Officer for Microsoft’s Server and Tools division for 4 years.

3. Cisco

• Kress spent 3 years working at Cisco as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation.
• This role involved overseeing financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development for various business segments, engineering and operations.

4. NVIDIA

• Kress joined NVIDIA in September 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
• During her time at the company, it has grown from being well-known for its graphics processing units (GPUs) to becoming a major supplier of chips and computing solutions for artificial intelligence and data centres.
• As Chief Financial Officer she has played a key role in financial planning, reporting and managing the financial situation of the company. During her time at the company she has become a regular on the quarterly earnings calls.

2026: Appointed Interim CEO of NVIDIA

On 12 November 2026, NVIDIA announced that Jensen Huang has resigned from his role as President, CEO and board member, with effect from immediately.

The board have appointed Kress as interim CEO of the company whilst they begin to look for a new permanent CEO. Kress will also continue in her role as Chief Financial Officer.

The board have also appointed Harvey C. Jones, a long-standing board member, as the first ever chair of the board.

The news of the change in leadership has caused a lot of media attention regarding the allegations around Huang. However, the official statement from NVIDIA confirm he has resigned and Kress has been appointed. They have not mentioned why he has left and you should not take any allegations reported by the media as fact.

Why is her Appointment Important?

Her appointment is important as NVIDIA plays a key role in the global artificial intelligence industry.

They produce GPUs, networking and computing solutions for AI training, data centres, scientific research and high performance computing.

Her appointment means,

• Continuity – Kress has been with the company for a long-time and will have a good understanding of how the business operates and the financial situation.
• Finance – Kress has experience in corporate finance and strategy.
• AI Impact – NVIDIA provide computing solutions to some of the largest technology companies and AI developers globally.
• Board Confidence – The board have stated they are confident in Kress and current leadership whilst they look for a new permanent CEO.