Nvidia interim CEO Colette Kress on Thursday pledged to continue playing a key role in developing technologies driving the artificial intelligence revolution, as she acknowledged the challenges facing the company.
In a message to employees, Kress said she and the board recognised that the company was going through an “extraordinarily difficult period”.
Kress faces the immediate task of stabilising the technology giant following the reported resignation of its founder and former chief executive, Jensen Huang, amid allegations concerning his personal relationships and claims that a woman linked to him had connections with Chinese intelligence.
China has denied any links between the woman, identified as Alice Le Huang, and its intelligence agencies. Reports have also alleged that Huang had a relationship with a senior Nvidia employee, potentially raising questions about compliance with the company’s code of conduct. These allegations have not been independently established.
Kress, a veteran finance executive who previously held positions at Microsoft, Texas Instruments and Cisco, takes charge of a company with a highly centralised management structure, under which around 60 department heads reportedly reported directly to Huang.
As Nvidia’s chief financial officer, Kress had responsibilities spanning several key areas of the business, making her a prominent choice for the interim leadership role.
Nvidia board chair Harvey Jones said, “Colette has helped lead Nvidia through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position”.
Aarti Shah, a former senior vice-president and chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly, was among the board members involved in the decision to appoint Kress.
Kress will also have to address issues surrounding Huang’s close ties with US President Donald Trump and his efforts to ease restrictions on exports of Nvidia’s advanced chips to China.
Nvidia’s high-performance processors are considered critical to maintaining the United States’ position in the global AI race, particularly amid growing competition from China.
Kress joined Nvidia in 2013, when the company was primarily known for producing graphics chips for gaming computers. She played a role in its transformation into a major supplier of processors powering artificial intelligence applications.
Although few Nvidia executives have maintained a high public profile, Kress has regularly represented the company on quarterly earnings calls, establishing familiarity with analysts and investors. She has also been involved in negotiations with major technology companies, including OpenAI, in which Nvidia has reportedly invested $30 billion.
Born in 1967, Kress is reported to have become a billionaire following Nvidia’s rapid growth.
(IANS inputs)
