Santa Clara:Nvidia has announced that its CEO, Jensen Huang, has resigned from his role as president, chief executive officer, and board member with immediate effect. This decision comes amid an independent investigation into reports suggesting Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed as the interim CEO. Kress will continue to fulfill her current responsibilities while the board evaluates both internal and external candidates to find a permanent replacement for Huang.

In addition to these leadership changes, Nvidia has appointed Harvey C. Jones, the former chief executive of Synopsys, as its first board chair. Jones conveyed confidence in Kress and the existing leadership team, assuring that the company's operations, customer commitments, and product roadmap would remain uninterrupted during this transition.

Colette Kress, who has been with Nvidia since 2013, has committed to advancing the foundation laid by Huang over his 33-year tenure with the company. Nvidia expressed gratitude for Huang's contributions but refrained from detailing the specific reasons behind his resignation.

The announcement of Huang's departure follows the board's earlier notification on November 8 regarding an independent investigation. At that time, the board expressed its confidence in Huang and noted there was no indication that U.S. national security or the company's secrets had been compromised. Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife in a message to employees on the same day and promised to fully cooperate with the investigation.

On Tuesday, the independent directors engaged former acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the investigation.