Adobe has appointed Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive officer, succeeding longtime CEO Shantanu Narayen, who announced his decision to step down earlier this year.
The software giant said Chakravarthy, who currently serves as president of its customer experience orchestration and worldwide field operations, will assume the role on December 1.
He will also join Adobe’s board of directors as part of the leadership transition.
Narayen, who has led Adobe for 18 years after joining the company in 1998, will become executive chairman and work closely with Chakravarthy during the transition.
Commenting on the appointment, Narayen said Adobe’s future remained promising, citing the company’s record of creating new markets and developing world-class products.
“Adobe’s opportunity ahead is limitless with our track record in creating new market categories and world-class products,” Narayen said.
“Anil is an experienced transformational leader who leads with values, integrity and a deep knowledge of our business.”
Chakravarthy joined Adobe nearly seven years ago after serving as chief executive officer of enterprise data management company Informatica.
In a 2021 interview, he said his decision to join Adobe was influenced partly by the opportunity to work with Narayen and the company’s leadership team.
“A lot of the reason I came was the opportunity to work with him and work with the leadership team at Adobe,” Chakravarthy said at the time.
His appointment comes as Adobe faces growing investor concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on software companies.
Adobe’s shares have come under significant pressure in recent years following a strong performance in 2023. The stock declined 25 per cent in 2024 and another 21 per cent in 2025, while it has fallen 18 per cent so far in 2026.
Adobe shares dropped about two per cent in extended trading following the announcement.
Meanwhile, another senior Adobe executive, David Wadhwani, announced that he would leave the company.
Wadhwani, who has served as president of Adobe’s creativity and productivity business for nearly five years, had previously been regarded as a potential successor to Narayen.
He played a key role in Adobe’s proposed acquisition of design software company Figma, a $20 billion deal that was ultimately abandoned in 2023 following regulatory opposition.
Announcing his departure in a LinkedIn post, Wadhwani said he planned to explore new business ideas as he begins what he described as a “new chapter”.
“As much as Adobe means to me, I’ve decided this is the right moment for me to start a new chapter, and it’s a great moment for Adobe to do the same as Anil steps into the CEO role,” Wadhwani wrote.
He added that after working alongside Chakravarthy for several years, he was confident in his ability to lead Adobe.
Boluwatife Enome
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