Colette Kress has taken charge of Nvidia following Jensen Huang’s resignation. Before her appointment, she spent nearly 25 years working in the finance departments of major technology companies, including Microsoft and Cisco.
Colette Kress is the woman now leading Nvidia, one of the world’s most influential technology companies.
The company’s board appointed her interim chief executive following the resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang on November 12, 2026.
However, Kress is not a newcomer to the company. She joined Nvidia in September 2013 and has served as its executive vice-president and chief financial officer.
Her appointment places a finance executive at the head of a company whose chips power much of the global artificial intelligence industry.
Here are seven things to know about her.
1. She studied finance at the University of Arizona
Kress attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance.
She later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Southern Methodist University.
Her academic background laid the foundation for a career in corporate finance and business management.
2. She spent eight years at Texas Instruments
Before joining some of the world’s biggest technology companies, Kress worked at Texas Instruments.
She spent eight years at the semiconductor company, holding different finance positions.
That experience gave her an early understanding of the technology industry and the financial operations behind semiconductor production.
3. She worked at Microsoft for 13 years
Kress joined Microsoft in 1997 and spent 13 years at the company.
During that period, she held several senior finance and corporate planning positions.
In 2006, she became chief financial officer of Microsoft’s Server and Tools division. She was responsible for financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development.
Her work at Microsoft strengthened her experience in managing finances within a major technology business.
4. She became a senior finance executive at Cisco
After leaving Microsoft in 2010, Kress joined Cisco Systems.
She served as senior vice-president and chief financial officer of the company’s Business Technology and Operations Finance organisation.
Her responsibilities included financial strategy, planning, reporting and business development across Cisco’s business segments, engineering and operations.
She held the position for three years before moving to Nvidia.
5. She joined Nvidia in 2013
Kress joined Nvidia in September 2013 as executive vice-president and chief financial officer.
Her appointment came as the company was expanding beyond its traditional graphics processing business.
Over the years, Nvidia became a major supplier of chips used in artificial intelligence, data centres, gaming and high-performance computing.
Kress played a key role in managing the company’s finances through this period of growth.
According to Fortune, Nvidia’s annual revenue increased from $4.13 billion in the 2014 financial year to $130.5 billion in 2025.
6. She became Nvidia’s interim CEO after Jensen Huang
On November 12, 2026, Nvidia announced that Kress would serve as interim chief executive following Huang’s resignation.
She will retain her positions as executive vice-president and chief financial officer while leading the company.
The board has also begun searching for a permanent CEO. It says it will consider both internal and external candidates.
Kress therefore holds the responsibility of overseeing Nvidia’s operations during a major leadership transition.
7. She has spent nearly 25 years in technology finance
Before becoming interim CEO, Kress had built a career spanning nearly 25 years at Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Cisco and Nvidia.
Her experience covers financial planning, corporate strategy, reporting and business development.
Unlike Huang, whose career centred on engineering and technology entrepreneurship, Kress built her reputation through financial management.
Her immediate challenge is to maintain business continuity and investor confidence while the company searches for a permanent leader.
Nvidia’s board has expressed confidence in her knowledge of the business, its customers and its financial position.
Read also: Jensen Huang Resigns: How Two Alleged Affairs Cost Nvidia’s CEO His Job