The longtime CFO supported the Mellanox acquisition, which gave Nvidia critical networking technology and a major R&D presence in Israel. Her next task is to steer the company without Jensen Huang.

For more than a decade, Colette Kress has occupied one of the most important positions at Nvidia without becoming one of its most visible public figures. As chief financial officer, she helped turn the company's technological ambitions into one of the most extraordinary financial success stories in corporate history. Behind the scenes, she also served as a counterweight to CEO Jensen Huang, sometimes challenging his appetite for risk as he pushed Nvidia into increasingly ambitious investments.

Now, following Huang's departure after three decades at the helm, the 59-year-old executive has been appointed interim CEO as Nvidia searches for a permanent successor.…