# Trump Names Tim Cook as His Pick to Succeed NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang

By Sonny Jang

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/people/55877
Published: 2026-11-12T20:39:36.000Z
Updated: 2026-11-12T20:39:36.000Z
Section: People

> Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is serving as interim CEO while the board weighs internal and external candidates.

President Donald Trump recommended Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook as NVIDIA’s next CEO on Nov. 12, adding a public candidate to the chipmaker’s succession process after Jensen Huang’s resignation.

Trump praised Huang’s work in a Truth Social post and wrote, “A Legend replaces a Legend!” Huang also resigned as NVIDIA’s president and a board director. Cook completed a 15-year run as Apple CEO in September and now serves as the company’s executive chairman.

NVIDIA appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO after Huang resigned. Kress will keep her finance role while the board searches for a permanent successor. Directors are weighing both internal and external candidates. The board also named longtime director Harvey C. Jones as its first chairman.

Kress joined NVIDIA in 2013, when gaming graphics chips formed the company’s core business. Her work has centered on finance, investment and capital allocation as NVIDIA grew into a major AI supplier.

The transition also puts a leadership structure built around Huang under review. Most members of NVIDIA’s roughly 50-person senior leadership team reported directly to him, and he had a direct role in product direction, technology development and major business decisions.