Who Will Replace Jensen Huang? Possible Nvidia CEO Successors – Hollywood Life

For the first time in its 33-year history, NVIDIA is shopping for a new boss. Co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as president, CEO and a board member on November 12, 2026, after reports of extramarital affairs rocked the chipmaker he built. Neither woman named in those reports has publicly commented, and Jensen never identified either one in his apology to employees.

The company moved fast to put someone in charge, but the race for the permanent job is wide open, and even the president has already picked a favorite.

Find out who could take over below.

Who Will Replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia CEO?

For now, the corner office belongs to Colette Kress. NVIDIA’s board named its chief financial officer interim CEO, and she will keep running the company’s finances until a permanent successor is chosen, according to NVIDIA’s official announcement.

The board said it will consider candidates from both inside and outside the company. It also gave longtime director Harvey C. Jones a brand-new title as NVIDIA’s first-ever board chair.

Who Is Colette Kress, Nvidia’s Interim CEO?

Colette has served as NVIDIA’s CFO since she joined the company in 2013, CBS News noted. She now pulls double duty, steering the whole company while still overseeing its money.

She wasted no time getting to work, gathering NVIDIA’s executive team at its Santa Clara, California, headquarters on November 12, 2026, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. Analyst Dan Ives expects her to stay in the interim role for about a year, according to the outlet.

Harvey made it clear in the announcement that the board is firmly behind her.

“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position,” he said. “She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA’s strategy and advancing its technology roadmap. 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.”

Colette, meanwhile, promised to build on what Jensen started.

“NVIDIA’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years,” she said. “We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders.”

Which Nvidia Executives Could Replace Jensen Huang?

Colette is not the only insider in the conversation. Analysts have pointed to several NVIDIA leaders as possible long-term picks, CNBC reported.

That list includes Ian Buck, who runs NVIDIA’s hyperscale business, and Bryan Catanzaro, the company’s vice president of applied deep learning. Chief technology officer Michael Kagan has been floated as well.

Did Donald Trump Say Tim Cook Should Replace Jensen Huang?

He sure did. Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social shortly after the news broke, and he had a very famous name in mind.

“NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place – TIM COOK of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!” he wrote.

Trump’s pick already knows a thing or two about a high-profile CEO transition. Tim Cook handed Apple’s CEO job to John Ternus in September 2026. Until NVIDIA’s board makes its choice, Colette remains in charge of the company Jensen co-founded in 1993.