Who is Harvey C. Jones? Nvidia’s first-ever board chair has been with the company since its inception in 1993

Harvey C. Jones has been appointed as Nvidia’s first-ever chairman of the board following the immediate resignation of CEO Jensen Huang on November 12, 2026. A veteran chip-design executive, Jones has served on Nvidia’s board since the company was founded in 1993. He will lead the board as Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress takes over as interim CEO.

The leadership changes come amid an inquiry involving Huang, prompting Nvidia to reassess its leadership and governance structure.

Huang resigned as Nvidia’s president, CEO and director with immediate effect, leaving the company to look for a permanent successor. The company is reportedly considering both internal and external candidates for the position.

The company has not disclosed the specific reasons behind his resignation. However, reports have suggested that the board had initiated a review into whether Huang may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Reports also claimed that Jensen was in a relationship with another Nvidia employee who has been identified as Kimberly Powell, the Vice President of Healthcare at the company.

Who is Harvey C. Jones?

Jones, 73, has extensive experience in Silicon Valley’s chip-design industry. He co-founded Daisy Systems Corp. in 1981, a company specialising in chip-design software, and served as its president and CEO until 1987.

He subsequently joined Synopsys, where he served as CEO from 1987 to 1998 before becoming its executive chairman. Jones also co-founded Tensilica in 1997 and chaired its board until the company was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 2013.
Since 2004, he has been a managing partner at Square Wave Ventures. Jones holds degrees from Georgetown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Why is Harvey C. Jones’ appointment significant?

Jones’ appointment marks a change in Nvidia’s board structure. Until now, the company had operated without a designated board chair, instead appointing a lead independent director annually from among its independent directors, as per Nvidia’s 2026 proxy statement.

Stephen C. Neal, who previously served as Nvidia’s lead independent director, was responsible for determining board meeting schedules, working with the CEO to prepare meeting agendas, and coordinating executive sessions of independent directors. He also acted as the principal liaison between independent directors and the CEO on sensitive issues.

Earlier, commenting on interim CEO Colette Kress, Harvey said, “Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position.”

He added, “She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA’s strategy and advancing its technology roadmap. The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption.”