Finding a successor to Jensen Huang at Nvidia is being compared to replacing Steve Jobs at Apple. In many ways, it’s actually harder.
Mr. Huang, 63, has much deeper technical expertise than the late Mr. Jobs did, with 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 throughout the industry, creating a complex network of partners, customers and suppliers. He turned Nvidia into a major player in Washington, built on a close relationship with President Trump and technology vital to U.S. national security.
And Mr. Huang shaped a culture at Nvidia that drove rapid-fire innovation while attracting some of the most accomplished engineers.
“They have to get someone who is an inspirational leader, that people love,” said Jeff Christian, chief executive of Christian & Timbers, an executive recruiting firm that frequently works with Silicon Valley companies. “This person has to be a great talent engineer, and a great talent magnet.”
Any candidate would also need an impeccable record for integrity and honesty, Mr. Christian and others noted.
The other issue facing the search effort is that few candidates could be expected to maintain Mr. Huang’s ultra-flat structure at Nvidia, where an estimated 60 people were reporting directly to him. Anything more than 12 is problematic, said Craig Stevens, a managing partner at the search firm Boyden. “Things have to change structurally immediately,” he said.
Which candidates could fit the bill? Here are some who have been suggested by headhunters, analysts and others.
Ms. Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, was appointed acting chief executive on Thursday while a search for a permanent successor is completed. She has a handle on the company’s operations and strong ties to Wall Street, leading each conference call after Nvidia reports earnings. But Ms. Kress, 59, lacks the deep technical expertise needed for a company that has been driving the evolution of A.I.
Ian Buck
Mr. Buck, an Nvidia vice president, gets much of the credit for the underlying technology that allowed the company’s chips to move from video game graphics to A.I. He invented the CUDA software foundation that underlies many A.I. applications and now handles relations with big companies running thousands of Nvidia chips in data centers. Though Mr. Buck lacks broad management experience, he has testified in Congress and developed other contacts in Washington.
Tim Cook
Tim Cook, who recently left the chief executive role at Apple, was immediately suggested by Mr. Trump as the obvious successor for Mr. Huang. But Mr. Cook hasn’t been deeply engaged in the A.I. revolution. And at 66, he is older than most people appointed to lead major public companies. Mr. Stevens suggested that Mr. Cook, if selected, might serve in a longer-term interim role after Ms. Kress.
Mr. Srouji, Apple’s hardware chief, has deep semiconductor expertise. The Israeli engineer has helped keep Apple on the leading edge of chip design, incorporating A.I. features into its custom-built silicon. But he has not developed much of a public presence, besides speaking at Apple events. And Apple’s chips have mainly been targeted at personal computers, tablets and smartphones, not the data centers where most A.I. transactions are carried out.
Rene Haas
Mr. Haas, 64, the chief executive of the chip technology licensing company Arm Holdings, has a deep familiarity with Nvidia. He worked there from 2006 to 2013. He also engaged in many interactions with Mr. Huang and others at the Silicon Valley company when Arm was preparing to be acquired by Nvidia in 2020, a deal that collapsed in 2022 because of government opposition.
Forrest Norrod
An executive vice president at the Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices, Mr. Norrod is highly regarded in the industry and seems to possess many leadership attributes that Nvidia needs, Mr. Christian said. Mr. Norrod oversees AMD’s business in selling chips for A.I. data centers, where his company has emerged as a solid No. 2 to Nvidia.
Charlie Kawwas
Mr. Kawwas, the president of Broadcom’s semiconductor business, is another well-regarded executive in Silicon Valley with deep experience in A.I. 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.
