Nvidia is searching for a new CEO after Jensen Huang stepped down from the company he led since 1993. Colette Kress currently serves as interim leader. Reports suggest Thomas Kurian, the India-born CEO of Google Cloud, is among those being discussed for the permanent role at the $4 trillion giant.

Nvidia, the second-most valuable company in the world, is in the process of finding its new CEO after Jensen Huang, the only person who has led the chipmaker since its founding in 1993, was forced to step down amid a series of allegations of extramarital affairs. Colette Kress, who until now served as the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed as the interim CEO, while the board continues to search for a permanent executive to lead the $4 trillion giant.

Over the past few days, several names, including both insiders and outsiders who hold leadership roles in top companies, have been discussed for the role. Among them is Thomas Kurian, who is currently the CEO of Google cloud.

Who is Thomas Kurian?

Born in Kerala’s Kottayam in 1966 as one of the four children of PC Kurian, a chemical engineer and the general manager of Graphite India, and his wife, Molly, Thomas did his schooling in Bangalore and later joined IIT Madras.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

Who is Thomas Kurian?⌵

Thomas Kurian is an India-born technology executive who became CEO of Google Cloud in 2018. Before joining Google, he spent 22 years at Oracle, where he rose to president of product development.

Is Thomas Kurian being considered for Nvidia CEO?⌵

Kurian is among the names reported as being discussed for Nvidia’s permanent CEO role. Colette Kress is serving as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent leader.

Why is Thomas Kurian being considered for Nvidia CEO?⌵

The article does not give a specific reason for his reported consideration. It notes his leadership of Google Cloud and his previous role overseeing product development at Oracle.

What did Thomas Kurian do before joining Google?⌵

Kurian worked at McKinsey & Company from 1990 to 1996, then joined Oracle in 1996. He spent 22 years there and became president of product development before leaving in 2018.

Where did Thomas Kurian study?⌵

Kurian did his schooling in Bangalore and later joined IIT Madras. He moved to the US at 17, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton, and received an MBA from Stanford.

At the age of 17, Thomas, along with his identical twin brother George Kurian, moved to the US, where he graduated from Princeton with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He also has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Kurian started his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company from 1990 to 1996, working as a business analyst and engagement manager.

Kurian joined Oracle in 1996, and in the 22 years there he rose to become President of Product Development and oversaw a multibillion-dollar R&D budget. He resigned in September 2018 following strategic disagreements with co-founder Larry Ellison over cloud computing.

Two months later, in November 2018, he joined Google, where he currently serves as the CEO of Google Cloud. Kurian has been ranked among the top-earning technology executives in the US and currently is estimated to be worth $ 1.8 billion depending on Alphabet stock performance.

His identical twin brother George, who also followed Thomas to the US, is currently the CEO of NetApp.

Petition to reinstate Jensen Huang

Meanwhile, as uncertainty continues inside Nvidia, more than 1.32 lakh people have signed an online petition urging the company’s board to reinstate Huang as chief executive. The campaign has also attracted support from prominent technology industry figures, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Replit CEO Amjad Masad and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.