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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 on November 13 that it was still selecting a search firm and had not formally engaged potential candidates; reports and political suggestions have not established who will get the role.
Nvidia’s board is preparing a search for a permanent CEO after founder Jensen Huang resigned, but it has not publicly named candidates or set a timetable. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is interim CEO, and the board said November 13 that it was still selecting a search firm and had not formally engaged potential candidates.
Nvidia’s November 12 announcement and a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission identify Kress as interim chief executive while the board searches for a successor. She will remain executive vice president and CFO until a permanent CEO is named. The filing says the board appointed her during the search; it does not set a deadline for completing it.
The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first chair. Jones has been a director since 1993. In a statement reported by CNBC on November 13, the board said it was “in the process of selecting a search firm” and had “not formally engaged any potential candidates.” It added that speculation about individual candidates was premature.
One possible name came from a Financial Times report, cited by Reuters, that Nvidia’s board had approached Arm CEO Rene Haas. The report cited people familiar with the matter; Reuters said it could not independently verify it, and Arm declined to comment. Separately, President Donald Trump posted that Apple executive chairman Tim Cook was “the only one man to take his place.” That was Trump’s suggestion, not an announcement by Nvidia; the board’s decision remains its own.
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 Beyond the Interim Period
The leadership decision matters because Nvidia’s chief executive will oversee a company whose operations, customer commitments and product roadmap have been central to its business. The board has said those activities continue without interruption, but a prolonged interim period could leave customers, employees and partners waiting for clarity about who will set the company’s direction over the longer term.
It is also a question of leadership structure, not just a name. Reuters reported that some analysts expect Nvidia may move away from Huang’s hands-on style toward a more institutional leadership structure. That is an analyst view, not a decision the board has confirmed. Whether the next CEO comes from inside or outside the company could shape how Nvidia coordinates its leadership and communicates priorities, but the board has not disclosed how it will weigh those options.
For investors and business partners, the immediate indicators are the company’s scheduled earnings and employee meeting. Those events may offer information about continuity and leadership plans, but no source cited here says either will produce a permanent CEO announcement.
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From Resignation to Search
The board’s November 12 announcement followed Huang’s resignation, the event that prompted the succession process. Nvidia’s press release says the board will consider both internal and external candidates. Jones’s message to employees, obtained by CNBC, likewise described the search as covering both groups and called Kress “a key architect of NVIDIA’s growth and capital strategy.”
There is a discrepancy in public reporting about outside search help. TechCrunch wrote on November 11, citing Bloomberg, that Nvidia was working with an outside firm to identify possible candidates. Two days later, the board said it was still selecting a search firm. The available material does not explain whether the earlier report concerned preliminary work, a different firm, or another step in the process. The board has not publicly reconciled the accounts.
Nvidia has scheduled third-quarter results for November 17 at about 1:20 p.m. Pacific time, followed by an earnings call at 2 p.m. Pacific time, according to the company. A company meeting for employees is scheduled for November 18 at 9 a.m. Pacific time, according to an email from Kress published by CNBC.
“We have not formally engaged any potential candidates.”
— Nvidia’s board, in a statement reported by CNBC and Reuters on November 13
Candidate Names Remain Unconfirmed
No permanent successor has been named, and Nvidia has not announced a public timeline for the search. The board says it has not formally engaged potential candidates, while the reported approach to Rene Haas has not been independently verified by Reuters. Arm declined to comment. Nvidia’s response says speculation about individuals is premature; it does not confirm or deny a specific approach.
The board has also not publicly addressed Trump’s suggestion of Tim Cook in the material available here. Nor has it explained the apparent difference between the November 11 report about an outside firm and its November 13 statement that it was selecting a search firm. Whether the process has involved informal discussions, preliminary screening or other steps is not clear.
The exact division of responsibilities during Kress’s interim tenure has not been detailed publicly beyond her continuing as CEO and CFO until a successor is named. The company’s statement that operations and commitments continue without interruption describes its position; it does not settle how long the interim arrangement will last.
Earnings and Employee Meeting
The next scheduled milestones are Nvidia’s November 17 third-quarter results and its earnings call, followed by a company-wide employee meeting on November 18. Kress told staff they would hear more from leadership in the coming days, according to an email published by CNBC. The timing means the results are scheduled before the employee forum, but Nvidia has not said what will be discussed at either event regarding the search.
After that, the board’s immediate stated task is to select a search firm and evaluate internal and external candidates. No date has been announced for naming a successor. Until the board provides further details, Kress remains interim CEO and CFO, while reported names and public recommendations should not be treated as confirmed finalists.
Key Questions
Who is Nvidia’s interim CEO?
Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, is serving as interim CEO. The company says she will remain CFO until a permanent successor is named.
Has Nvidia hired a search firm?
As of the board’s statement reported on November 13, it was still 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 that Nvidia’s board approached Arm CEO Rene Haas, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters said it could not independently verify the report, and Nvidia has not confirmed him as a candidate.
Did Nvidia choose Tim Cook?
No. President Donald Trump publicly suggested Apple executive chairman Tim Cook, but Nvidia has not announced that Cook is a candidate or that it approached him. The board has said speculation about individual candidates is premature.
When will Nvidia name a permanent CEO?
No public timeline has been announced. The company has scheduled third-quarter results for November 17 and an employee meeting for November 18, but it has not said either event will include a successor announcement.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
