Nvidia said Thursday that Colette Kress, the company’s chief financial officer, would be the company’s interim chief executive, following the resignation of its former leader, Jensen Huang, who admitted to having an extramarital affair with a businesswoman who U.S. intelligence agencies believe is a spy for China. “The board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team,” Harvey C. Jones, Nvidia’s newly appointed chairman of the board, said in a statement. “We expect the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption.” In a note to Nvidia employees, Kress said he believed “deeply in this company” and called his employees “our greatest strength.” He said Nvidia would hold a company-wide meeting on November 18 to discuss its future. She will remain Nvidia’s chief financial officer while also serving as interim CEO until the board appoints a permanent successor. The board said Thursday that it had launched a search for that replacement and would consider internal and external candidates. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kress, who joined Nvidia in 2013, leads the company as it enters an uncertain next chapter. Under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia has grown from a specialized maker of computer chips used for video games to one of the world’s most valuable public companies and the linchpin of the artificial intelligence boom. Nvidia controls about 90 percent of the market for chips used in the big artificial intelligence projects that drive the U.S. economy. Kress, 59, faces a challenging path. He will temporarily take over a company that until now was strictly controlled by his predecessor. Mr. Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and managed all aspects of its business with a flat structure that placed him at the center of its daily operations. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you’re in Reader mode, exit and log in to your Times account or subscribe to all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Do you want all of The Times? Subscribe.
