Adobe has named Anil Chakravarthy its next president and CEO, effective December 1, 2026, as longtime chief executive Shantanu Narayen moves to executive chair. The Adobe CEO transition places an enterprise software veteran with responsibility for customer experience and AI products at the helm as the company navigates growing competition in AI-powered software.
Key Takeaways
- Anil Chakravarthy will become Adobe’s president and CEO and join its Board of Directors on December 1, 2026.
- Shantanu Narayen will move from chairman and CEO to executive chair after more than 18 years as chief executive.
- Adobe’s board unanimously selected Chakravarthy following a succession process overseen by lead independent director Frank Calderoni.
- Chakravarthy currently leads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations.
- The transition comes as Adobe expands its AI portfolio while facing increased competition from AI-driven design platforms.
Adobe Selects Anil Chakravarthy to Succeed Shantanu Narayen
Adobe’s Board of Directors announced on September 3 that Chakravarthy will become president and chief executive officer on December 1. He will also join Adobe’s Board of Directors on that date.
The appointment completes a succession process that began publicly on March 12, when Narayen said he planned to leave the CEO position once the board had selected his replacement. Narayen had served as Adobe CEO for more than 18 years.
The earlier CEO succession announcement outlined the board’s search for his replacement and the significance of ending one of the technology sector’s longer-running CEO tenures.
Frank Calderoni, Adobe’s lead independent director, led the special committee overseeing the search. Adobe said the board unanimously chose Chakravarthy following the selection process.
Narayen framed the appointment around Adobe’s increasingly AI-focused business, saying Chakravarthy was the “right person to lead Adobe’s growth in an AI-driven era.”
Shantanu Narayen Moves to Executive Chair
Narayen will remain closely involved with Adobe after leaving the CEO role. Instead of remaining simply as board chair, as Adobe initially announced in March, he will become executive chair and work with Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.
The structure keeps Narayen involved while transferring responsibility for Adobe’s day-to-day executive leadership to Chakravarthy.
Narayen has led Adobe since 2007, overseeing major changes to its business model and product portfolio, including its transition toward subscription-based software and the expansion of its cloud businesses.
Chakravarthy credited Narayen’s leadership with positioning Adobe for its next phase and said he planned to work closely with employees, Narayen and the board after taking the CEO position.
The CEO Change Comes at a Critical Point for Adobe’s AI Strategy
The Adobe CEO transition comes as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes competition across creative software and enterprise technology.
Reuters reported that Adobe faces growing pressure from AI-enabled design competitors including Figma and Canva. Adobe shares had declined about 18% in 2026 as of the September 3 leadership announcement, reflecting investor concerns about how generative AI could affect the company’s established software businesses.
At the same time, Adobe has reported increasing demand for its own AI products. The company recorded $6.62 billion in revenue for its second fiscal quarter, ended May 29, and said AI-first annual recurring revenue had more than tripled year over year to exceed $500 million. Adobe also raised its fiscal 2026 revenue and adjusted earnings targets.
That combination of growth and competitive pressure makes AI execution a central issue for the incoming CEO.
Similar efforts to place clearer operating responsibility around artificial intelligence can be seen in other large technology companies undergoing AI leadership restructuring as research, product development and commercial execution become more closely connected.
Chakravarthy Brings Enterprise Software Leadership to the CEO Role
Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as executive vice president and general manager of its Digital Experience business.
In September 2020, he also assumed responsibility for worldwide field operations serving enterprise customers across Adobe’s portfolio, including its creativity and productivity products. Adobe promoted him to president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations in December 2021.
He now serves as president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations.
Before joining Adobe, Chakravarthy spent four years as CEO of Informatica, an enterprise cloud data management company. He originally joined Informatica in 2013 as executive vice president.
His earlier career included executive positions at Symantec and VeriSign, as well as work at McKinsey & Company.
Chakravarthy holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, in India. He also earned a Master of Science and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Adobe Credits Chakravarthy With Expanding Its AI and Customer Experience Business
Adobe has positioned Chakravarthy’s experience in customer experience software and enterprise operations as an important part of its decision.
According to the company, he led development efforts involving Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio and Brand Visibility and played a role in scaling Adobe Experience Platform and introducing CX Enterprise Coworker.
Adobe also credits Chakravarthy with championing the acquisitions and integration of Workfront and Semrush. The Semrush transaction was completed on April 28, 2026, expanding Adobe’s capabilities in search, generative engine optimization and brand visibility.
Adobe subsequently integrated Semrush technology into Adobe Brand Visibility, which the company introduced in June as part of its strategy for helping businesses manage how their brands appear across traditional and AI-powered search environments.
Those responsibilities give Chakravarthy experience in a part of Adobe’s business that has become increasingly tied to its broader AI strategy.
Agentic Software Becomes Part of Chakravarthy’s CEO Mandate
Chakravarthy has made agentic software a central part of his early description of Adobe’s next phase.
In announcing his appointment, he said he intends to “drive Adobe’s leadership in the next era of agentic software” across creativity, productivity and customer experience.
The statement extends the priorities he has overseen within Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration organization to the company’s broader product portfolio.
Adobe has increasingly incorporated generative and agentic AI into products serving creators, business users and enterprise customers. Its second-quarter results showed that management is also measuring the commercial contribution of those products through AI-first recurring revenue.
For Chakravarthy, the CEO role will therefore involve more than continuing the customer experience strategy he already leads. He will assume responsibility for coordinating Adobe’s broader creative, productivity and enterprise businesses as AI changes both its products and competitive environment.
The Adobe CEO Transition Takes Effect December 1
Chakravarthy will formally become Adobe’s president and CEO and join the company’s board on December 1, 2026. Narayen will move to executive chair on the same date.
The transition gives Adobe a defined succession after the search announced in March while retaining Narayen in an executive leadership position.
Chakravarthy enters the role with experience leading an enterprise software company and more than six years inside Adobe. He also takes over as the company attempts to convert growing use of its AI products into sustained growth while responding to new competition in creative and enterprise software.
The Adobe CEO transition will put responsibility for that next stage directly with Chakravarthy beginning December 1, while Narayen remains involved as executive chair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anil Chakravarthy?
Anil Chakravarthy is president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations. He joined Adobe in January 2020 after previously serving for four years as CEO of Informatica.
When will Anil Chakravarthy become Adobe CEO?
Chakravarthy will become Adobe’s president and chief executive officer on December 1, 2026. As part of the Adobe CEO transition, he will also join the company’s Board of Directors on that date.
What role will Shantanu Narayen have after the transition?
Narayen will become Adobe’s executive chair when Chakravarthy assumes the CEO position. Adobe said the two executives will work closely together to support the leadership transition and the company’s ongoing transformation.
What does Anil Chakravarthy currently lead at Adobe?
Chakravarthy leads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations. His responsibilities have included enterprise customer operations as well as AI-focused customer experience products and platforms.
Where did Anil Chakravarthy work before Adobe?
Before joining Adobe, Chakravarthy served as Informatica CEO for four years. He also held executive roles at Symantec and VeriSign and previously worked at McKinsey & Company.
