Since September 2013, Colette Kress has been NVIDIA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She has been a key player in the company’s change from a chipmaker that focused on gaming to a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing. Kress has worked in finance for more than 25 years at big tech companies. His strategic vision and financial skills have helped NVIDIA become one of the world’s most valuable companies, with a market capitalization of more than $4 trillion. Her leadership has not only led to NVIDIA’s rapid financial growth, but it has also made her one of the few billion-dollar CFOs.
A Long and Successful Career in Technology Finance
Kress started her career in the tech industry at Texas Instruments, where she worked in a number of finance roles. This gave her a solid background in managing finances in the semiconductor industry. She worked at Microsoft for 13 years, four of which were as CFO of the Server and Tools division. During that time, she improved her skills in business development, financial strategy, and planning. Before working at NVIDIA, Kress was the Senior Vice President and CFO of Cisco’s Business Technology and Operations Finance group. He was in charge of the financial strategy for all of the company’s business segments, engineering, and operations. Her years of experience at these big tech companies gave her the skills to handle complicated financial situations and help industries that change quickly grow.
Kress has a B.Sc. in Finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. These degrees have helped her handle the complicated finances of tech companies that are growing quickly. Her hiring at NVIDIA, which was announced on September 16, 2013, was a big deal for the company because it matched her skills with NVIDIA’s big plans to move into AI and data center technologies.
A Life-Changing Time at NVIDIA
At the time Kress joined NVIDIA, the company was mostly known for its graphics processing units (GPUs) that were used in video games. But since she took over the company’s finances, NVIDIA has changed a lot. It has taken advantage of the AI boom to become a leader in accelerated computing. Kress’s strategic oversight has been a big part of NVIDIA’s success in dominating the AI hardware market, especially with its GPUs powering generative AI applications.
NVIDIA’s revenue for fiscal year 2024 was an incredible $60.9 billion, which is 15 times what it was ten years ago. This is one of the biggest revenue increases in tech history. By February 2025, NVIDIA’s quarterly earnings showed $39.33 billion in revenue, which was more than analysts had expected. This was due to a huge increase in demand for its AI chips. Kress, who usually leads NVIDIA’s earnings calls, has always given great financial results. By December 2024, the company’s market cap will reach $3.4 trillion, and by mid-2025, it will be worth more than $4 trillion.
It was clear from the start that she had good strategic vision. In NVIDIA’s 2018 earnings call, Kress talked about how AI could change the world. This turned out to be true, as the company’s GPUs became the backbone of the generative AI revolution. Her skill in bringing together financial strategy and technological innovation has been key to NVIDIA’s huge R&D investments, which have helped the company stay ahead of the competition in AI, gaming, and data centers.
A Billionaire CFO Who Stands Out
Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index says that Kress’s financial success at NVIDIA has made her a billionaire, with her net worth reaching $1 billion by July 2025. This achievement, which is mostly due to her ownership of more than 5.4 million NVIDIA shares, puts her in a small group of top CFOs, including Safra Catz of Oracle and John Reece of Ineos. It was reported that she made $21.4 million in NVIDIA’s 2025 fiscal year, which is a big jump from $13.3 million in 2024. Most of this money came from stock awards that were meant to align her interests with those of shareholders.
Kress’s wealth is a result of NVIDIA’s equity-based pay model, which has made thousands of its workers multimillionaires. This model is motivating, but it makes it harder to keep and hire people because making money makes financial incentives less appealing. As NVIDIA deals with the challenges of hyper-growth, Kress’s job as CFO goes beyond just keeping an eye on the company’s finances. It also affects the company’s culture and the experiences of its employees.
A Plan for the Future
Kress is in charge of dealing with problems from outside the company, like possible regulatory issues. In August 2025, she talked about talks with the U.S. government about a proposed 15% commission on NVIDIA’s AI chip sales to China. She said that the plan was still in its early stages and could be illegal. Her ability to handle these complicated geopolitical issues shows how important she is as a strategic partner to CEO Jensen Huang, who makes sure NVIDIA stays financially stable even when things are uncertain around the world.
Kress has an effect on people as well as numbers. Her two sons, who knew NVIDIA’s gaming chips from their favorite video games, reportedly pushed her to join the company. This story makes her journey more relatable by showing how personal relationships can affect professional choices that change whole industries.
In conclusion
During Colette Kress‘s time as NVIDIA’s CFO, she has led the company through a decade of change, making it a giant in the AI-driven tech world. Her strategic financial leadership and deep knowledge of the tech industry have helped NVIDIA grow at an unprecedented rate and made her one of the most powerful CFOs in the world. As NVIDIA keeps pushing the limits of AI and computing, Kress’s vision and knowledge will be important for keeping the company on top and dealing with the problems that come with an industry that changes quickly.
