Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia’s chief executive after 33 years at the helm of the artificial intelligence and graphics-chip company he co-founded. Nvidia said on Thursday, 12 November 2026, that chief financial officer Colette Kress would take over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.
Huang, 63, has also given up his seat on Nvidia’s board. The company did not provide a reason for his departure. His exit comes at a significant point for Nvidia, whose processors power data-centre artificial intelligence systems and whose GeForce graphics cards remain important to gaming PCs and laptops used in India and other markets.
Board appoints its first chair
Nvidia has appointed Harvey Jones as chairman of the board. Jones, a former chief executive of chip-design software company Synopsys, has been a member of Nvidia’s board since its founding in 1993. The appointment creates a separate chair role at the company for the first time.
“The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption,” Nvidia board chairman Harvey Jones said in a statement.
Kress has been with Nvidia since 2013 and will retain her finance responsibilities while serving as interim chief executive. She said she was committed to continuing the foundation established by Huang, who has been one of the most prominent public figures associated with the expansion of the AI-chip industry.
| Leadership change | Details |
|---|---|
| Chief executive | Colette Kress, interim CEO |
| Former CEO | Jensen Huang, resigned and left the board |
| Board chair | Harvey Jones, the first chair appointed by Nvidia |
| Permanent successor | To be selected by the board |
Why the change matters for PC users
Nvidia’s leadership transition is not an announced change to its hardware portfolio. The board has specifically said that customer commitments and the product roadmap are expected to continue without interruption. For Indian buyers of GeForce-equipped desktops and laptops, that statement indicates continuity for the company’s existing graphics business, although it does not provide new details about particular products, prices or local availability.
The transition also comes as Nvidia prepares to report its quarterly results on 17 November 2026. The company’s shares fell by more than 10 per cent in premarket trading after the announcement, while the stock had already declined by around 25 per cent from its all-time high in early October. Those market movements do not change the company’s product specifications or availability for consumers, but they underline the importance of the succession process for Nvidia’s wider business.
The announcement followed reports involving Huang and allegations that a woman connected to one of the reported relationships was linked to Chinese intelligence. Beijing has rejected the spying allegations. Nvidia’s board had announced a probe into reports that Huang had been the target of what it described as a “foreign intelligence effort”.
- Jensen Huang has left Nvidia after a 33-year tenure as CEO.
- CFO Colette Kress will lead the company on an interim basis.
- Nvidia says its operations, customer commitments and product roadmap will continue without interruption.
