Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, has come under the spotlight following a report alleging that she had an extramarital relationship with the company's chief executive, Jensen Huang, who is also facing scrutiny over a separate alleged affair with a woman identified by US intelligence officials as a Chinese spy.
According to Powell's LinkedIn bio, she joined Nvidia in 2008 as Director, WW Business Development, Higher Education & Healthcare, and has risen through the ranks over nearly two decades.
She oversees initiatives that explore applications of the company's chip technology in healthcare and higher education, particularly in medical imaging devices, according to Nvidia's website.
Deep Dive
What roles did Kimberly Powell hold at Nvidia before becoming healthcare vice president?
What does Kimberly Powell oversee as Nvidia's healthcare vice president?
What has been reported about Kimberly Powell and Jensen Huang?
She has been the Vice President/General Manager, Healthcare at Nvidia since 2017.
NYT's scoop on Powell and Huang
The New York Times, citing five people who worked at Nvidia and spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Huang, 63, and Powell had a relationship that had not previously been reported. Both are married to other people.
{{/usCountry}}The New York Times, citing five people who worked at Nvidia and spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Huang, 63, and Powell had a relationship that had not previously been reported. Both are married to other people.
{{/usCountry}}According to two of the people cited in the report, Huang and Powell were seen being affectionate at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March. The New York Times said it had not seen the video allegedly capturing the interaction.
Powell's career at Nvidia has spanned several leadership roles. She was promoted to senior director of artificial intelligence business development in 2016, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In her current role, Powell has represented Nvidia at technology conferences around the world and delivered speeches on behalf of the company. At GTC, Nvidia's annual developer conference held in San Jose in March, she spoke about using artificial intelligence to drive breakthroughs in healthcare and biology. Her presentation also featured cartoon depictions of Huang.
The report said Nvidia executives were staying at a nearby hotel for meetings during the conference, where Huang and Powell were allegedly seen being affectionate. One bystander recorded the interaction on a phone, three people briefed on the incident told the newspaper.
Huang's security personnel allegedly spotted the bystander recording the interaction and sequestered the person before asking them to sign a nondisclosure agreement, the people said.
Jensen Huang faces scrutiny over separate alleged relationship
Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and turned it into a leading supplier of artificial intelligence chips, has faced growing scrutiny following reports about his personal relationships.
Last month, The New York Times reported that a Chinese executive with whom Huang had become close had been identified by US officials as an intelligence asset working for China. The executive, who goes by the name Alice Huang, has not responded to requests for comment. China has denied the espionage allegations.
Earlier this month, after Huang acknowledged the affair, Nvidia's board opened an investigation led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Republican leaders of three influential House committees have also asked Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing on his interactions with Alice Huang.
When contacted by phone on Wednesday and asked about his relationship with Powell, Huang said, "I don't think you should be talking to me directly." He then hung up.
Nvidia declined to provide a statement, while Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's shares fell about eight per cent in after-hours trading.
The report also noted that relationships between chief executives and subordinates have previously led to consequences at major US companies. Intel's former chief executive Brian Krzanich resigned in 2018 after acknowledging a "past consensual relationship" with an employee.
In 2019, McDonald's removed Steve Easterbrook as its chief executive and later sued him after discovering that he had violated company policies by maintaining sexual relationships with multiple employees.
Nvidia's code of conduct asks employees to "avoid situations where our actions create conflict", including "personal relationships", according to the NYT report. The company also states that it "promptly investigates reports of misconduct". Several corporations have policies restricting relationships between managers and their subordinates.