Nvidia is considering a permanent successor to long-time chief executive Jensen Huang, with three Indian-origin technology executives—Sanjay Mehrotra, Nikesh Arora and Thomas Kurian—among the possible contenders. Other names linked to the succession process include Colette Kress, Ian Buck, Rene Haas, Lisa Su, Pat Gelsinger, Matt Murphy, Johny Srouji and Tim Cook.
The company’s board is assessing both internal and external options for the leadership transition. Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim chief executive after Huang’s departure.
The incoming CEO will take charge of a company at the heart of the worldwide artificial intelligence boom. Nvidia’s chips support AI systems used by technology companies globally, giving the succession decision significance beyond the company itself.
Three Indian-origin executives under consideration
Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of US-based memory-chip manufacturer Micron Technology, is one of the candidates being considered. He has led Micron since 2017 and has helped strengthen the company’s position in the AI chip market.
Mehrotra co-founded SanDisk in 1988 and later became its chief executive before joining Micron. His long experience in semiconductors, along with Micron’s close business relationship with Nvidia, could support his candidacy.
Nikesh Arora, who leads cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, is another name being discussed. He has headed the company since 2018 and previously held senior roles at SoftBank and Google.
Arora’s record of managing large technology businesses could be relevant to Nvidia’s requirements, although his professional background is more closely associated with cybersecurity than chip manufacturing.
Thomas Kurian, chief executive of Google Cloud, is also among the potential candidates. He oversees Google’s cloud infrastructure, enterprise software and artificial intelligence services.
Kurian’s experience in running large-scale technology operations and serving enterprise customers could be valuable at Nvidia. However, like Arora, he does not have a direct background in chip design.
Other names linked to the succession plan
Colette Kress, Nvidia’s interim CEO and CFO, is considered a possible internal choice. She joined the company in 2013 and has extensive experience in finance and investor relations, as well as a detailed understanding of Nvidia’s operations.
Ian Buck, Nvidia’s vice-president of hyperscale and high-performance computing, is another internal candidate. He joined the company in 2004 and contributed to the development of CUDA, Nvidia’s software platform that helped expand the use of its graphics processors beyond gaming.
Rene Haas, chief executive of British chip designer Arm, has also emerged as a possible contender. Haas previously spent several years at Nvidia, holding senior roles in its computing products business.
The names of Pat Gelsinger, the former chief executive of Intel; Lisa Su, who heads Nvidia rival AMD; and Matt Murphy, chief executive of Marvell Technology, have also been mentioned. Each has experience in the semiconductor sector.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, is another potential candidate. He played a central role in developing Apple’s in-house processors, which power the company’s iPhones, Macs and other devices.
Former Apple chief executive Tim Cook has also surfaced in discussions, with US President Donald Trump reportedly favouring him for the position.
Nvidia’s next leader will be expected to manage the company’s rapid expansion while navigating competition, geopolitical tensions, export restrictions and growing scrutiny of the AI industry’s large-scale investments.
The company will also require a chief executive capable of preserving relationships with major customers and technology partners while keeping its chip and software businesses competitive.
Nvidia’s board has not yet announced a permanent successor. The range of names under consideration reflects the breadth of leadership experience being weighed as the company prepares to determine who will lead one of the most influential businesses in the global AI industry.
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