Nvidia names CFO Colette Kress to take over after Jensen Huang steps down as CEO and president

Nvidia said Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive officer, and a board member, effective immediately, setting off a leadership transition at the center of the company’s strategy during a period of intense demand for AI chips.

The company also said it will be led by its chief financial officer, Colette Kress, who will step in following Huang’s departure. Kress’s move from CFO to acting top leader shifts responsibilities from finance oversight to day-to-day executive management, while Nvidia’s board oversees the change.

Huang’s resignation as both chief executive and president indicates a complete off-ramp from the roles that typically coordinate product direction, customer engagement, and internal operating cadence. The announcement also includes Huang’s exit from the board, meaning investors will look for how Nvidia fills a governance gap and what the company’s leadership structure will be next.

In the market reaction to the news, the post highlighted that an analyst compared the moment to Apple’s so-called “Steve Jobs moment.” That phrase generally refers to a perception of a sharp inflection in leadership and execution at Apple, but Nvidia did not provide any additional details tying its own plans to that comparison in the reported update.

Nvidia’s reliance on execution across research, product development, manufacturing, and global supply chains makes any CEO transition a focus for stakeholders. The shift puts a CFO, rather than another long-standing operating executive, at the forefront, which can affect how quickly financial priorities and operational targets are translated into leadership decisions.