TL;DR
Nvidia’s board said on November 13 that it is selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged any CEO candidates. CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO, Harvey C. Jones is the board’s first chair, and there is no public timeline for naming a permanent successor.
Nvidia’s board said Friday, November 13, that it is selecting a search firm for the company’s next chief executive and has not formally engaged any potential candidates. The update follows founder Jensen Huang’s resignation and leaves CFO Colette Kress serving as interim CEO while directors consider internal and external candidates; Nvidia has not given a timeline for a permanent appointment.
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“We are in the process of selecting a search firm for the Nvidia CEO role,” the board said in a statement reported by CNBC. It added that it had not formally engaged potential candidates and called speculation about individual contenders “premature.” The statement gives a clearer picture of the search’s early stage, but it does not identify who is leading the process or when a decision might be made.
Nvidia’s November 12 announcement and Form 8-K identify Kress as interim CEO. She will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer until a permanent successor is named. The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as chair, a role Nvidia described as the first in its history. Jones has served on the board since 1993. The company said operations, customer commitments and its product roadmap would continue without interruption.
Several names have surfaced, but none is an announced candidate. Reuters reported that the Financial Times said Nvidia’s board had approached Arm CEO Rene Haas, citing people familiar with the matter. Arm declined to comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. Separately, President Donald Trump suggested Apple executive chairman Tim Cook in a Truth Social post. Nvidia’s board has not commented on that suggestion in the material reviewed.
Leadership During the Search
The succession process matters because Nvidia is operating under interim leadership after Huang’s departure, while customers and business partners depend on continuity in product delivery and company decisions. Nvidia has said its operations and commitments continue without interruption. That is the company’s assurance; the longer-term effect of a new chief executive is not yet known.
The board’s eventual choice will also set expectations for how the company is led after Huang. Reuters reported that some analysts expect a move from his hands-on approach toward a more institutional leadership structure. That is an analyst view, not a decision Nvidia has announced. The board’s statement leaves open whether the next CEO will come from inside or outside the company and what leadership priorities the directors will favor.
For now, the near-term signals are practical: Kress is managing the interim role while retaining the CFO position, and Nvidia has scheduled results and an employee meeting in the coming days. Those events may give staff, customers and investors more information about how the transition is being handled, though neither has been identified as a milestone for selecting a permanent CEO.
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From Resignation to Interim Leadership
Nvidia’s November 12 announcement followed the board’s November 11 acceptance of Huang’s resignation as president, CEO and director, as recorded in the company’s Form 8-K. The company then named Kress interim CEO and Jones chair, and said it would search for a permanent successor from both internal and external candidates.
On November 12, Trump’s suggestion of Tim Cook entered the public discussion. On November 13, Reuters reported the Financial Times account of an approach to Rene Haas. Later that day, the board told CNBC it was still selecting a search firm and had not formally engaged candidates. These reports and suggestions are distinct from an official nomination: Nvidia has not confirmed a candidate.
Kress told employees that Nvidia’s third-quarter results were scheduled for November 17, with a call at 2 p.m. PT, and that a company meeting would take place November 18 at 9 a.m. PT, according to her email published by CNBC. The board has not said whether either event will include an update on the succession search.
“We are in the process of selecting a search firm for the Nvidia CEO role.”
— Nvidia’s board, in a statement reported by CNBC on November 13
No Candidate or Timeline Confirmed
Nvidia has not named a permanent CEO candidate or set a public appointment date. The board says it is selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged potential candidates. It has not said whether it will first consider internal executives, what criteria it will use, or when it expects to complete the search.
The reported approach to Haas remains unverified by Reuters, and Arm declined to comment, according to Reuters. Trump’s suggestion of Cook was a public recommendation, not a confirmed part of Nvidia’s process. The board has not commented on that suggestion in the sources reviewed. It is also unclear whether the company’s November 17 results or November 18 employee meeting will include any succession update.
Results and Employee Meeting Ahead
Nvidia is scheduled to report third-quarter results on November 17, with a call at 2 p.m. PT, and to hold a company meeting for employees on November 18 at 9 a.m. PT, according to Kress’s email published by CNBC. The company has not said that either event will bring a CEO search announcement.
The next confirmed step in the succession process is the board’s selection of a search firm. Until Nvidia announces a permanent appointment or provides a timeline, Kress remains interim CEO and speculation about potential successors remains unconfirmed.
Key Questions
Who is Nvidia’s interim CEO?
Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, is serving as interim CEO while continuing in the CFO role until a permanent successor is named.
Has Nvidia formally engaged any CEO candidates?
No. In a November 13 statement reported by CNBC, Nvidia’s board said it had not formally engaged any potential candidates and was selecting a search firm.
Is Rene Haas confirmed as a candidate?
No. Reuters reported that the Financial Times said 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 Haas as a candidate.
Did Nvidia’s board name Tim Cook as a successor?
No. President Donald Trump publicly suggested Apple executive chairman Tim Cook, but that was Trump’s suggestion, not an announcement by Nvidia. The board has not commented on it in the sources reviewed.
When will Nvidia name a permanent CEO?
Nvidia has provided no public timeline. The board said it is selecting a search firm; the company’s scheduled November 17 results and November 18 employee meeting are not confirmed CEO search milestones.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
