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TL;DR
Nvidia CFO Colette Kress is serving as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor to founder Jensen Huang. The board said it is still selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged candidates, despite reports of a possible approach to Arm CEO Rene Haas and a public suggestion from President Donald Trump.
Nvidia’s board is searching for a permanent CEO after founder Jensen Huang resigned, but said Friday that it is still selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged candidates. CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO, while the board’s statement leaves reported candidate names—including Arm CEO Rene Haas—unconfirmed.
Nvidia’s November 12 press release and securities filing name Kress as interim chief executive. She will also remain executive vice president and chief financial officer until a permanent successor is named. The filing says the board appointed her while it conducts a search that will consider internal and external candidates.
The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as chair, a role Nvidia described as its first-ever board chair. Jones has served as a director since 1993. In a statement reported by CNBC and Reuters on Friday, the board said it was “in the process of selecting a search firm” and had not formally engaged potential candidates. It called speculation about individual candidates premature.
The Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s board approached Arm CEO Rene Haas, citing people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported. The FT said Haas was among several candidates and that no offer or acceptance was assured. Arm declined to comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. Separately, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Apple executive chairman Tim Cook should take the role. Nvidia’s board has not publicly commented on that suggestion in the cited reports.
Nvidia CEO succession · Nov 11–18, 2026
From resignation to a search with no candidate on record
What Nvidia has confirmed, what is only reported or suggested, and the next dates.
Where the search stands (schematic)
- Resignation acceptedNov 11, per Nvidia’s 8-K
- Interim leadershipKress is interim CEO and stays CFO; Jones is the first Chair
- Search firmBeing selected, the board said on Nov 13
- CandidatesNone formally engaged, per the board; names so far are only reported or suggested
- Permanent CEONo timeline given
donein progress or reportedopen
Step by step, with the source for each
- Nov 11Nvidia, 8-K: the board accepts Huang’s resignation as President, CEO and director
- Nov 12Nvidia: Kress interim CEO and still CFO; Jones first-ever Chair; search for internal and external candidates
- Nov 12Suggested: Trump on Truth Social names Apple’s Tim Cook, as quoted by Fox Business and Reuters
- Nov 12Staff email: Kress announces a company meeting, as published by CNBC
- Nov 13Reported: the FT says the board approached Arm CEO Rene Haas, via Reuters. Arm: no comment
- Nov 13Board, to CNBC: “in the process of selecting a search firm”
- Nov 17Nvidia: third-quarter results at about 1:20 p.m. PT, call at 2 p.m. PT
- Nov 18Staff email: company meeting at 9 a.m. PT
Sources: Nvidia newsroom, “NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition” (Nov 12, 2026); Nvidia Form 8-K filed Nov 12, 2026 (SEC EDGAR); board statement to CNBC and Kress’s email to staff as published by CNBC (Nov 12 and 13, 2026); Financial Times report as published by Reuters (Nov 13, 2026); Trump’s Truth Social post as quoted by Fox Business and Reuters (Nov 12, 2026). The track is a schematic, not an official Nvidia process.
Animation: Powered by Thorsten Meyer AI
Leadership During the CEO Search
The leadership change puts continuity at the center of Nvidia’s response. The company has told employees and investors that operations, customer commitments and its product roadmap will continue without interruption. Kress remains in her finance role as she takes on the interim job, giving Nvidia an established executive at the helm while the board considers a longer-term arrangement.
The search also matters beyond the executive suite because Nvidia’s products and business relationships are central to the market for advanced computing hardware. Customers and partners will be watching for signs that leadership changes affect product plans, supply commitments or decision-making. The board’s assurance is a company statement; the available material does not independently establish how the transition will affect those areas.
Whoever takes the permanent role could shape how Nvidia is run after Huang’s departure. Reuters reported that some analysts expect a move toward “a more institutional leadership structure” rather than Huang’s hands-on approach. That is analysis, not a decision announced by the board. The board has not disclosed its preferred leadership model or a timetable for naming a successor.
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Interim Roles and Search Timeline
The November 12 announcements set out two immediate changes: Kress became interim CEO, and Jones became board chair. Nvidia’s filing says Kress will continue as CFO until a permanent successor is named. Jones, who has been on the board since 1993, has also been managing partner of Square Wave Ventures since 2004, according to the filing.
In an employee email obtained by CNBC, Jones described Kress as “a key architect of NVIDIA’s growth and capital strategy” and said the search would consider internal and external candidates. Kress told staff they would hear more from leadership in the coming days and that a company meeting was scheduled for November 18 at 9 a.m. Pacific.
Nvidia’s third-quarter results are scheduled for November 17 at about 1:20 p.m. Pacific, followed by an earnings call at 2 p.m., according to the company. The dates give investors and employees near-term opportunities to hear from the company during the interim period. A prior TechCrunch report, citing Bloomberg, said Nvidia was working with an outside firm to identify potential replacements before Huang’s resignation. The sources available do not explain how that report relates to the board’s later statement that it was still selecting a search firm.
““We have not formally engaged any potential candidates.””
— Nvidia’s board, in a statement reported by CNBC and Reuters on November 13
Candidate Reports and Open Questions
No permanent successor has been announced, and the board has not provided a public deadline. Its statement says no potential candidates have been formally engaged, while the Financial Times report describes an approach to Haas. Reuters said it could not independently verify that account; the board has not confirmed it, and Arm declined to comment.
It is also unclear whether the earlier report of an outside firm identifying possible replacements refers to preliminary work distinct from the search firm the board says it is now selecting. The available sources do not resolve that difference. There is no confirmation that Haas, Cook, Kress or another individual has been offered the permanent job, accepted it, or been designated a finalist.
The board has not outlined the search criteria, the role of any search firm, or whether it expects to choose an internal or external candidate. Nor has it described how Kress’s interim responsibilities will be divided if the process lasts for an extended period.
Earnings and Employee Meeting Ahead
Nvidia’s next scheduled public milestone is its third-quarter results on November 17, with an earnings call at 2 p.m. Pacific. Kress’s employee email set a company meeting for November 18 at 9 a.m. Pacific. Those dates may provide more information about how the interim leadership plans to communicate with investors and employees, but Nvidia has not said that either event will include an update on the CEO search.
The board’s next stated step is to select a search firm and proceed with a review of internal and external candidates. No timetable for a permanent appointment is public. Until the board announces further details, Kress remains interim CEO and Jones remains board chair.
Key Questions
Who is Nvidia’s interim CEO?
Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, is interim CEO. The company said she will continue as CFO until a permanent successor is named.
Has Nvidia hired a search firm?
Not according to the board’s November 13 statement, which said it was in the process of selecting a search firm. The board also said it had not formally engaged potential candidates.
Is Rene Haas confirmed as a candidate?
No. The Financial Times reported an approach to the Arm CEO, citing people familiar with the matter. Nvidia has not confirmed the report; Reuters said it could not independently verify it, and Arm declined to comment.
Did Nvidia consider Tim Cook for the job?
President Donald Trump publicly suggested Cook in a Truth Social post. That is not evidence that Nvidia’s board has considered or approached him. The board has not commented on the suggestion in the cited reports.
When will Nvidia name a permanent CEO?
No public timeline has been given. Nvidia has scheduled third-quarter results for November 17 and an employee meeting for November 18, but the company has not said either event will bring a search update.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
