How Colette Kress joined Nvidia before becoming interim CEO? Her children's love for video games played an unexpected role in her hiring

Nvidia's new interim CEO Colette Kress's decision to join the chipmaker in 2013 had an unexpected influence fromm her two sons, who were avid video game players. At a time when Nvidia was considerably smaller than the technology giant it is today, the boys recognised the company through the chips powering their favourite games and encouraged their mother to take up the opportunity.

More than a decade later, that career decision has put Kress in charge of the $4 trillion company as it looks for a permanent successor to co-founder Jensen Huang.

How Colette Kress's sons influenced her decision to join Nvidia

Kress was advised by her sons, then aged eight and 10, to consider joining Nvidia, according to an interview she gave last year to Israeli financial newspaper Globes, as reported by Fortune.


For the children, Nvidia was already a familiar name because of its presence in the gaming industry. For Kress, however, joining the company meant moving from established technology businesses to a much smaller chipmaker.

She had spent 13 years at Microsoft before moving to Cisco, where she served as chief financial officer of a division for three years. Her move to Nvidia in 2013 came as the company was beginning to expand its ambitions beyond graphics processors for video games.

From Nvidia's CFO to interim CEO

Kress joined Nvidia as chief financial officer after an extensive hiring process. Jensen Huang reportedly interviewed 22 candidates before selecting her for the position, according to The New York Times.

She went on to work closely with Huang as Nvidia transformed into a major force in artificial intelligence. As CFO, Kress became an important point of contact for investors and Wall Street, explaining the company's financial performance and business outlook.

Her tenure also coincided with extraordinary financial growth. Nvidia's annual revenue rose from $4.28 billion in 2013 to $215.9 billion in its most recent fiscal year, according to The New York Times.

Kress also became a prominent figure in discussions about US restrictions on semiconductor exports to China. She had warned that restrictions on Nvidia's sales could hurt its business while giving Chinese chipmakers an opportunity to strengthen their position.

Why Jensen Huang is stepping down as Nvidia CEO

Kress's promotion to interim CEO follows Huang's sudden departure from the company he co-founded. Nvidia said on Thursday that Kress would take over while the board searches for a permanent successor. The company also appointed former Synopsys CEO and board member Harvey Jones as its first-ever board chairman.

Huang's exit comes after mounting scrutiny over reports of alleged extramarital relationships. Reports had linked him to Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US authorities suspect of having connections to Chinese intelligence, although Beijing has denied the allegations. The New York Times also reported an alleged relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reported to Huang.

According to Reuters, Nvidia's board met on Wednesday to consider Huang's exit following the reports. Huang, who owns approximately 3.61% of Nvidia, will also leave the company's board.