Who Is Colette Kress? All About the Nvidia CFO Amid CEO Shake-Up – Hollywood Life

NVIDIA has a new leader, and she is far from a stranger to the company. Colette Kress, the chipmaker’s longtime chief financial officer, was named interim CEO on November 12, 2026, after co-founder Jensen Huang resigned following reports of extramarital affairs. The two women linked to Jensen in those reports have not addressed the rumors publicly, and Jensen has not named either of them himself.

Colette is now juggling two of the biggest jobs in tech at once.

Get to know her below.

Who Is Colette Kress?

Colette has served as NVIDIA’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, according to the company’s official announcement of the leadership change. Before that, she spent nearly 25 years in finance at major tech companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

Her résumé runs deep. NVIDIA’s 2013 press release about her hire noted that she spent four years as chief financial officer of Microsoft’s Server and Tools division before moving to Cisco, where she became senior vice president and CFO of its Business Technology and Operations Finance organization. Before Microsoft, she worked her way through several roles at Texas Instruments. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Why Did Colette Kress Join Nvidia?

Family had a hand in it. Her sons, who loved video games, helped influence her decision to join NVIDIA, Bloomberg reported. Still, she said in a 2018 interview that what truly persuaded her was Jensen’s vision for the company, which he spelled out on a whiteboard.

She has become one of the most respected executives in the industry since then, landing at No. 49 on Fortune’s 2026 Most Powerful Women list. Tech analyst Dan Ives, who was a managing partner at Wedbush Securities at the time, raved about her to Fortune in 2024.

“The CFO leadership at Nvidia from Colette Kress has been instrumental in Nvidia’s success with Wall Street, and is key to Jensen’s vision,” he said. “She is extremely well respected both internally at Nvidia and across the tech industry.”

What Did Colette Kress Say to Nvidia Employees?

Colette reached out to staff in an email shortly after taking the job, and CNN published her message.

“I believe deeply in this company and in its future. More than anything, I believe in each of you, in our customers and partners and in the vital role we play every day in the global economy,” she wrote.

She also told employees that the company will hold a meeting about its future on November 18, 2026, Fortune reported.

How Long Will Colette Kress Be Nvidia’s CEO?

There is no set end date. Colette will keep her CFO duties while serving as interim CEO until the board names a permanent successor, according to NVIDIA’s announcement, and the board plans to consider candidates from both inside and outside the company.

Dan believes her run in the top job will last about a year, according to CNBC. Whether the board eventually hands her the role for good remains to be seen, but for now, the company Jensen co-founded in 1993 is in Colette’s hands.