A Big Shift: Nvidia’s Finance Head Joins a Startup

Simona Jankowski, who has been at the helm of investor relations and strategic finance at Nvidia for seven years, is leaving to join a startup as their chief financial officer. The move comes after her notable contribution to the company’s growth during her tenure. In 2017, when she joined Nvidia from Goldman Sachs, the chipmaker's revenue was a fraction of what it is today. Under her guidance, Nvidia has experienced extraordinary growth in both revenue and market value. Jankowski started tracking Nvidia’s stock performance as early as 2001 when she was an equity research analyst at Goldman Sachs. She met Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang back then and has been part of the company's journey to becoming a $3 trillion market cap giant. Despite this success, Jankowski is now opting for a new challenge in the startup world. The chipmaker briefly became the most valuable public company globally by market cap after joining the $3 trillion club with Apple and Microsoft. However, its shares have been sliding recently, dropping it back below these tech giants. Jankowski's decision to leave Nvidia for a startup reflects her belief in new beginnings and innovative disruptions, which aligns with Huang’s vision of a “new industrial revolution. ” Her departure showcases the attractiveness of startups despite the security and perks offered by established companies. While Jankowski hasn't named the startup yet, she mentioned on LinkedIn that she will do so in a future post. The transition underscores the dynamic nature of the tech industry, where opportunities and challenges constantly shift.