Nvidia interim CEO Colette Kress and board chair Harvey Jones sought to reassure employees Thursday following co-founder Jensen Huang's resignation, expressing confidence in the company's future and pledging continuity during the leadership transition.

In internal emails published by The Verge, Kress thanked staff for their commitment and acknowledged the challenges facing the US chipmaker.

“The Board, Estaff and I recognize that this has been an extraordinarily difficult period and I want you to know how grateful we are for your resilience, professionalism and continued dedication,” she wrote, referring to the company's executive staff.

Kress said employees would hear more from leadership in the coming days, announcing a company meeting for Nov. 18 at 9 am Pacific time.

“We play a vital role in building the technology that is powering the AI revolution, and we have important work ahead of us,” she added.

In a separate message, Jones said the board would consider both internal and external candidates in its search for a permanent chief executive.

He described Kress, Nvidia's finance chief since 2013, as a key architect of the company's growth and capital strategy.

“The Board has full confidence in Colette to deliver on our commitments to shareholders, customers, partners, and to each of you,” Jones wrote.

Jones also recognized Huang's contributions, highlighting Nvidia's role in accelerated computing, graphics processing units and artificial intelligence.

Nvidia announced Thursday that Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately.

Kress will retain her chief financial officer responsibilities while serving as interim CEO. Jones was appointed the company's first-ever board chair. (AA)