Nvidia: His daughter, Tim Cook… Who to replace Jensen Huang?

A particularly coveted armchair. After the departure of Jensen Huang, who has led Nvidia since its creation in 1993, the board of directors of the American chip giant must find a new boss. The 63-year-old leader left his functions as chairman, CEO and director with immediate effect. The financial director, Colette Kress, takes over in the interim.

Without an established succession plan, Nvidia is considering both internal and external candidates. Several names are already circulating to take control of the world's leading designer of chips for artificial intelligence. But who to replace the former leader of Nvidia, ejected after the revelation of his extramarital affairs?

Suitors already in the house

The first pool of candidates is found within the company itself, among Nvidia executives. Colette Kress, financial director since 2013 and formerly of Microsoft, is among the most cited profiles. Analyst Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives hails his "exceptional credibility" inside and outside the company.

Ian Buck, another historic leader, could also claim the position. He oversees data center customers and played an important role in developing the software that makes Nvidia chips work at his customers. Inc. magazine also quotes Bryan Catanzaro, vice president of applied deep learning research.

Family succession

Another lead could be that of the Huang family. The founder's daughter, Madison, is senior director of product marketing at Nvidia, after a stint at LVMH. Her husband, Nico Caprez, a former professional skier recruited into the company, also works there. According to The Information, some employees view them as possible future leaders.

Jensen Huang's son, Spencer, also works at Nvidia, as director of product management in the robotics division. It remains to be seen whether the board of directors will actually consider a family succession.

One of the big names in tech

Finally, several leaders in the sector could be contacted. Lisa Su, boss of competitor AMD and distant cousin of Jensen Huang, has solid experience in semiconductors. Rene Haas, former Nvidia executive now at the head of the British Arm, is also among the names mentioned.