Nvidia has a new interim CEO in the wake of a massive scandal. Following Jensen Huang’s highly publicized affair and subsequent resignation, the company’s longtime chief financial officer Colette Kress stepped into the role.

Kress has been at the company for 13 years after being personally recruited by Huang himself. And she’s endlessly impressive. Not only is she one of a very small number of CFO billionaires, she’s worked exceptionally closely with Huang, and made herself invaluable as a familiar face to Wall Street and is an expert at explaining the company’s plans to investors.

It goes without saying that, no matter how well equipped, the new CEO has some giant shoes to fill as Nvidia cofounder Huang’s 33-year tenure ends. However, inserting a woman into a burdensome leadership role during a time of absolute crisis isn’t exactly a new tactic. 

While women and minorities are promoted to leadership positions less often than men, there is one time when they are asked to lead more often: when massive challenges are afoot.

The phenomenon is referred to as, not punching a hole in a glass ceiling, but rather, standing on the edge of the glass cliff . That’s because, while the promotion itself might look like a win for women in business, the precarious position the new leader steps into often sets her up for failure. The term itself came from researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK, whose research on 100 companies found that women promoted to leadership roles during times of crisis can face intense challenges.

Source link