Nvidia founder Jensen Huang has stepped down from the company he helped establish in 1993, ending a 33-year tenure during which he transformed the chipmaker into one of the world’s most valuable technology companies and a dominant supplier of artificial intelligence computing infrastructure.
The company appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while its board searches for a permanent replacement. Kress will retain her finance responsibilities during the transition.
Harvey C. Jones, a longtime Nvidia director, has been appointed the company’s first board chairman.
The leadership shake-up follows reports of Huang’s extramarital relationships, including one involving a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence. Nvidia previously announced an independent investigation into potential national security concerns, while stating that it had no reason to believe company secrets or national security had been compromised. The Wall Street Journal+1
“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 in the company’s statement.
Kress said Nvidia would continue executing its AI strategy and serving customers, partners, developers and shareholders.
The departure creates a significant leadership challenge for Nvidia at a time when global technology companies are spending heavily on AI infrastructure.
