Nvidia's next chapter: What its new leaders told staff after Huang's exit

Following Jensen Huang's departure, Nvidia's top executives reached out to employees, sharing plans for the company's leadership transition and future direction.

Huang resigned as president, chief executive officer (CEO) and a member of the company's board with immediate effect on Thursday, the company announced.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Colette Kress will take over as interim CEO while Nvidia looks for a permanent replacement. The company also appointed Harvey C Jones as its first-ever chairman of the board. Huang, who co-founded Nvidia and led it for 33 years, will no longer hold an executive position or serve on the board.

The resignation followed reports alleging that Huang had been involved in two extramarital relationships. The reports brought scrutiny to the head of one of the world's largest chipmakers, whose technology plays a major role in the growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

One relationship involved Alice Huang, a businesswoman whom US intelligence officials suspect of having links to Chinese intelligence. The other involved Kimberly Powell, a senior Nvidia executive who reported directly to Jensen Huang.

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According to internal memos obtained by Business Insider, interim CEO Colette Kress and newly appointed board chairman Harvey Jones addressed the leadership change and outlined the company's plans.

Kress told employees that the leadership team would hold a company-wide meeting on November 18 to discuss Nvidia's future. Jones said the board began searching for a permanent CEO and would consider both internal and external candidates.

What Colette Kress told Nvidia employees

In her memo, interim CEO Colette Kress expressed confidence in Nvidia's future and thanked employees for their continued support and commitment during what she described as a difficult period, Business Insider reported.

She said the company's employees, customers and partners remained central to its work and growth. Kress also highlighted Nvidia's role in developing technology that powers the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

She told employees that the leadership team would share more details about the company's future and announced a company-wide meeting scheduled for November 18.

What Harvey Jones told Nvidia employees

In his memo, newly appointed board chairman Harvey Jones confirmed that the board had asked Kress to serve as interim CEO while it searched for a permanent replacement for Jensen Huang. He said the search would consider both internal and external candidates.

Jones highlighted Kress's experience as Nvidia's CFO for more than 13 years, crediting her with playing an important role in the company's growth and financial strategy.

He acknowledged Huang's contribution to Nvidia, particularly in accelerated computing, graphics processing units (GPUs) and artificial intelligence. Jones added that the company's employees, leadership team, technology and business partnerships would remain central to its future growth.