Who could replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia CEO? Here are 7 candidates.

ByTech Word News

The search for Jensen Huang’s successor at Nvidia has been compared to replacing Steve Jobs at Apple. It’s actually harder in many ways.

Mr. Huang, 63, has a much deeper technical background than the late Mr. Jobs, and a keen understanding of the field of artificial intelligence and what chips and other technologies are needed to support it.

Unlike Mr. Jobs, Mr. Huang also forged close friendships across the industry, creating a comprehensive network of partners, customers and suppliers. He made Nvidia a major player in Washington, built on a close relationship with President Trump and technologies critical to US national security.

And Mr. Huang shaped a culture at Nvidia that drove rapid innovation while attracting some of the most respected engineers.

“They need to get someone who is an inspirational leader that people love,” said Jeff Christian, chief executive of Christian & Timbers, a recruiting firm that often works with Silicon Valley companies. “This person must be a great talent engineer and a great talent magnet.”

Any candidate would also need an impeccable record of integrity and honesty, Mr. Christian and others noted.

Another problem facing the search effort is that few candidates can be expected to maintain Mr. Huang’s ultra-flat structure at Nvidia, where an estimated 60 people report directly to him. Anything more than 12 is problematic, said Craig Stevens, managing partner at search firm Boyden. “Things need to change structurally immediately,” he said.

Which candidates might be a good fit? Here are some suggested by headhunters, analysts and others.

Ms. Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, was named acting chief executive on Thursday while the search for a permanent successor was completed. He controls the company’s operations and has strong ties to Wall Street, leading every conference call after Nvidia reports earnings. But Ms. Kress, 59, lacks the deep technical expertise needed for a company that has driven AI development.

Mr. Buck, a vice president at Nvidia, received much credit for the underlying technology that enabled the company’s chips to transition from video game graphics to AI. He invented the CUDA software foundation that underpins many AI applications and now manages relationships with large companies running thousands of Nvidia chips in data centers. Although Mr. Buck lacks extensive management experience, he has testified before Congress and made other contacts in Washington.

Tim Cook, who recently stepped down as Apple’s chief executive, was immediately suggested by Mr Trump as the obvious successor to Mr Huang. But Mr. Cook was not deeply involved in the AI ​​revolution. And at 66, he is older than most people appointed to the management of large public companies. Mr. Stevens suggested that Mr. Cook, if selected, could serve in a longer-term interim role after Ms. Kress.

Mr. Srouji, Apple’s hardware chief, has a deep knowledge of semiconductors. An Israeli engineer has helped Apple stay ahead of the curve in chip design by incorporating AI features into its custom-made silicon. Apart from appearing at Apple events, however, he hasn’t made much of a public appearance. And Apple’s chips were mainly aimed at personal computers, tablets and smartphones, not at data centers where most AI transactions take place.

Mr. Haas, 64, chief executive of chip technology licensing company Arm Holdings, has deep experience with Nvidia. He worked there from 2006 to 2013. He also engaged in many interactions with Mr. Huang and others in Silicon Valley as Arm prepared to be acquired by Nvidia in 2020, a deal that collapsed in 2022 due to government opposition.

Mr. Norrod, an executive vice president at Advanced Micro Devices, an Nvidia competitor, is highly regarded in the industry and appears to have many of the leadership attributes Nvidia needs, Mr. Christian said. Mr. Norrod oversees AMD’s AI data center chip business, where his company has established itself as a solid No. 2 to Nvidia.

Mr. Kawwas, president of Broadcom’s semiconductor division, is another respected Silicon Valley executive with deep experience in artificial intelligence. Broadcom has emerged as a key player in helping companies like Google develop their own chips in addition to buying from Nvidia.

Jordyn Holman contributed reporting.