The question of who could replace Jensen Huang at the helm of Nvidia has come to the fore after the company’s board of directors began discussing its future leadership. For now, the potential successors include both long-serving Nvidia executives and prominent figures from the technology industry.
One possibility is Chris Malachowsky – an Nvidia co-founder alongside Huang and Curtis Priem. He is the only executive at the company with the same level of seniority as the chief executive officer. Malachowsky has played a key role in the development of Nvidia’s computing technologies and is among the people who have known the company since its creation.
Ian Buck is the engineering option for the top job
Another potential candidate is Ian Buck, who leads Nvidia’s high-performance computing business. He is among the pioneers who helped expand the use of graphics processing units beyond video games – an area that later became the foundation for the development of artificial intelligence computing.
Nvidia’s leading processors are now widely regarded as the standard for developing artificial intelligence. Therefore, any successor will need to combine technical expertise with the ability to manage relationships with customers, partners and governments.
External candidates are also possible
An internal candidate would likely be preferred initially, but an executive from outside Nvidia could also be sought as a permanent successor. The names being discussed include Tim Cook and Rene Haas.
Cook would bring experience in managing global supply chains, while Haas already leads a publicly traded technology company – Arm Holdings. According to Chanana, however, Arm’s business differs significantly from Nvidia’s.
Huang’s children also hold executive positions at Nvidia, but they are relatively young and inexperienced for the top job. The main challenge for any potential successor will be to combine the technical understanding, strategic vision and relationships with the global technology industry that Huang possesses.