He’s no longer Nvidia’s CEO, so does Jensen Huang still have to face Congress on November 18?

Jensen Huang is no longer Nvidia’s chief executive, but questions remain over whether he will still have to appear before Congress on November 18. The development comes days after Republican lawmakers sought a briefing from the Nvidia CEO over his reported relationship with a Chinese intelligence asset. The information is taken from CNBC.

Nvidia’s board of directors announced that Huang had resigned as President, CEO and a member of the board, effective immediately. Colette Kress, the company’s current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will take over as interim CEO until a permanent successor is appointed.

The leadership change comes amid growing scrutiny of Huang’s reported interactions with Alice Huang, a Chinese executive whom US intelligence reportedly identified as an asset involved in sharing information with Beijing.

Why did Congress want to question Jensen Huang?

Three Republican committee leaders had invited Huang to attend a closed-door, in-person briefing on November 18. The request followed a report by The New York Times that US intelligence had found Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and Megaspeed executive, had “developed a close relationship” with Jensen Huang.

In a letter dated Wednesday and released Thursday, the lawmakers raised concerns about China’s access to sensitive American technology and information.

“Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC’s access to sensitive U.S. technology and information,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter was signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford.

Will Huang still have to appear before Congress?

Huang’s resignation raises questions about whether the November 18 briefing will go ahead as planned. The original invitation was addressed to him in his capacity as Nvidia CEO. However, the announcement does not clarify whether he will still be expected to attend.

The lawmakers had also sought details about his interactions with Alice Huang and Nvidia’s security measures against foreign espionage.

Nvidia had previously told CNBC that Jensen Huang’s meetings with Alice Huang were part of his regular business interactions.

“Meetings with customers are part of a CEO’s job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year,” the spokesperson said.

Who will lead Nvidia after Huang’s exit?

Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while continuing as CFO. She joined Nvidia in September 2013 and previously held finance positions at Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chairman. Jones has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, technology executive and venture investor, including serving as CEO and executive chairman of Synopsys.