Jensen Huang is out at Nvidia — who is Colette Kress, his interim replacement?

The Nvidia Board of Directors announced connected Thursday greeting that the company’s co-founder and CEO of 33 years, Jensen Huang, has resigned arsenic President, CEO, and subordinate of the Board, effectual immediately.

This is simply a shocking twist for 1 of the astir invaluable companies successful the world, which designs the chips that marque the AI roar possible. Few radical would person predicted this crook of events adjacent conscionable a week ago, arsenic Huang has been truthful cardinal to Nvidia done retired the company’s beingness that helium ne'er adjacent established a succession plan. But Huang has present been ousted aft reports that helium had affairs with some an alleged Chinese spy and 1 of his nonstop reports astatine Nvidia.

While the institution conducts a much thorough hunt for Huang’s successor, Nvidia CFO and Executive Vice President Colette Kress has taken implicit arsenic interim CEO. But beyond her sanction and occupation title, what bash we cognize astir the idiosyncratic who volition present pb a institution worthy astir $3.8 trillion?

According to Nvidia’s website, Kress has worked astatine the institution since September 2013. Before that, she spent 3 years arsenic an SVP and CFO of Cisco’s Business Technology Operations Finance organization. She besides worked astatine Microsoft for 13 years, wherever she spent 4 years arsenic CFO of the Server and Tools division. She holds a concern grade from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

The California-based 59-year-old has a precise constricted societal media beingness — connected Linkedin, she has commented immoderate good wishes connected erstwhile colleagues’ posts astir their retirement. But arsenic CFO, she’s been a regular beingness connected Nvidia’s net calls, making her a acquainted fig for analysts covering the company.

According to Forbes’ database of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, Kress’ nett worthy is estimated to beryllium astir $1.2 billion. Her Forbes profile adds that she initially joined Nvidia successful portion due to the fact that her 2 sons endorsed the institution for its relation successful the video crippled industry, which it was champion known for astatine the time.

“NVIDIA’s spot has ever travel from its people, and unneurotic with our enactment team, I americium committed to gathering connected the bonzer instauration Jensen created implicit the past 33 years,” Kress said successful a statement. “We volition proceed advancing the enactment that has made NVIDIA a person successful accelerated computing and AI, and execute connected the opportunities ahead. Our absorption remains connected serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders.” 

Nvidia is slated to study its quarterly net connected Tuesday, erstwhile we volition apt perceive much from Kress astir her plans for the company’s contiguous future.