Jensen Huang’s exit from Nvidia after more than three decades at the helm has left one big question hanging over the chipmaker: who gets the top job next?Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas has emerged as a potential contender, with Nvidia’s board reportedly considering him as it explores leadership options following Huang’s resignation.According to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter, Haas is among the names being considered for the role. He has led the SoftBank-backed British semiconductor company since February 2022. His previous seven-year stint at Nvidia and professional relationships with Huang and several members of the company’s board are also part of his background as a potential successor.However, the succession process remains at an early stage. Nvidia’s board said it was “in the process of selecting a search firm” to identify a new chief executive and had not “formally engaged” with any candidates, the Financial Times reported.“Any speculation regarding individual candidates, whether internal or external, is premature,” the board added.
Jensen Huang steps down as Nvidia boss
While the board explores its leadership options, some Nvidia employees have reportedly started a petition seeking Huang’s reinstatement. The move has received backing from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who expressed his support in a post on X.“A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I’m signing it too,” Musk said while replying to an X user.Huang announced his resignation on Thursday after leading Nvidia for 33 years. The company’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, is currently serving as interim CEO.His departure came amid mounting scrutiny over reports of alleged extramarital relationships. These include one involving Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, whom some US intelligence officials suspect of having links to Chinese intelligence services.The controversy had earlier intensified following reports of another alleged relationship involving Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports to Huang. Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter, also reported that Huang had an intimate relationship with a second company employee.Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and transformed it into one of the world’s leading suppliers of artificial intelligence chips, becoming one of the most prominent figures in the global AI industry.
Who is Rene Haas
Rene Haas has been the CEO of Arm and a member of its board of directors since February 2022. With more than 35 years of experience in the semiconductor and systems industries, he has held several senior leadership roles across the sector.During his tenure at Arm, Haas led the company’s return to public markets through its 2023 initial public offering (IPO), described as the largest that year. He also oversaw its inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 and a period of record financial performance, with revenue and profit nearly doubling.Under his leadership, Arm expanded beyond intellectual property (IP) licensing into compute subsystems and production silicon. The company also strengthened its presence in data centres, automotive and computing, while expanding its role across artificial intelligence workloads.Before becoming CEO, Haas served as president of Arm’s IP Products Group for five years, where he reshaped the business around solutions for vertical markets, diversified its product portfolio and increased investment in the Arm software ecosystem. He joined Arm in 2013 and held senior leadership positions across strategy, commercial operations, sales and marketing.
Haas’s Nvidia connection: A seven-year stint at the chipmaker
Before joining Arm, Haas spent seven years at Nvidia as vice president and general manager of its computing products business, leading one of the company’s largest revenue contributors. He also held executive positions at Scintera Networks and Tensilica, along with engineering, product development and applications roles across the semiconductor industry.His earlier stint at Nvidia and professional relationships within the company are among the links to his reported consideration for the top job.Beyond Arm, Haas serves as CEO of SoftBank Group International and is a member of the SoftBank Group board. He supports coordination among companies in the SoftBank Group International portfolio focused on semiconductors and artificial intelligence.Haas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Clarkson University and is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Education Programme.