Is Colette Kress fit to rule Nvidia? Michael Burry, Kevin O'Leary, Jim Cramer and more size up the chip giant's new boss

Kress now faces the challenge of guiding the AI chip giant through a major leadership shakeup while reassuring investors, customers and employees that it’s still business as usual. In a statement shared with Moneywise, Nvidia board chair Harvey Jones backed Kress’ appointment, pointing to her more than 13 years of experience as the company’s CFO.

“The Board has full confidence in Colette to deliver on our commitments to shareholders, customers, partners and to each of you,” Jones said.

Backing Kress

Nvidia’s sudden leadership shakeup has left plenty of questions about the company’s future, but some familiar Wall Street voices believe Kress may be exactly what the chip giant needs right now. CNBC’s Jim Cramer praised Kress for her no-nonsense leadership style.

“Colette’s been my contact person other than Jensen for years,” Cramer said on X. “She’s no-nonsense, and she is absolutely the one that you need right now because she has the bearing. She will accept no nonsense.”

Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary also expressed confidence in Kress in a video shared on X, pointing to her years of experience at Nvidia and her understanding of the company’s business.

“She’s been around forever there,” O’Leary said. “She knows every deal. She knows the production schedule. She knows everything about how these chips are going out.”

He believes Nvidia should give Kress a chance to run the company for a couple of quarters before making a decision about its next permanent CEO. O’Leary also argued that the company’s next leader should come from within rather than bringing in an outsider.

Promoting from within is common among America’s biggest companies. According to a 2025 report from executive search firm Spencer Stuart, 73% of new S&P 500 CEOs were internal hires.

Can anyone replace Huang?

While Cramer and O’Leary are confident in Kress, Michael Burry is raising a different question: Can anyone really replace Jensen Huang?

The investor, known for predicting the 2008 housing market crash, raised concerns about Nvidia’s dependence on its longtime CEO in a Substack post titled “The Don Goes Down: What Jensen’s Fall Means.”

Burry pointed to reports that Huang had as many as 60 direct reports and delegated little responsibility, suggesting the company’s operations were heavily dependent on him.

“I do not see Colette or any new CEO replacing the Don seamlessly,” Burry wrote, arguing that Nvidia’s reliance on a single leader had been a concern.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Huang also criticized Kress during a meeting with senior finance executives in August, calling her “a deer in the headlights” while interrupting her presentation. He also reportedly described her as a finance executive focused on reporting numbers rather than helping shape the company’s strategy.