Some Nvidia directors lean toward CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO
Semafor reported that some members of Nvidia’s board are inclined to appoint Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO if founder and CEO Jensen Huang is ousted. The full board has not yet made a decision, and the directors are scheduled to meet on Wednesday evening local time to discuss it.
Semafor previously confirmed that, after media disclosed Huang’s second extramarital affair, the board was preparing to oust Huang as soon as that day and had briefed the White House on the meeting plan. Bloomberg reported that the company has hired an outside headhunter to तलाश for the next CEO, and Apple hardware chief Johny Srouji is among those being considered. Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013 and is one of the executives investors know best besides Huang.
The move is seen as a signal that stability is being prioritized over a strategic shift. Nvidia has long lacked a formal succession plan, Huang directly oversees more than 50 people, and there is no COO or president position. If Huang leaves, a transition led temporarily by the finance chief would prioritize maintaining communications with capital markets, customer relationships, and the continuity of the AI chip supply chain, rather than immediately changing the technology roadmap.
Source: Semafor
ABAB AI Insight
For founder-led companies, the first reaction in a crisis is usually not to look for “the next founder,” but to look for “the person who can steady the numbers and external trust.” The preference for a CFO as interim CEO is, in essence, a switch from a “personal credit vehicle” to an “institutional and financial continuity vehicle.” Historically, when a founder is forced out over governance issues, boards often choose an internal finance or operations executive to bridge the gap, usually to buy time for an external search for a permanent successor and reduce the risk of a further sharp swing in market value.