Brands
Adobe names Anil Chakravarthy as CEO, Shantanu Narayen to become executive chair
Chakravarthy will take charge on December 1 as Adobe prepares for its next AI-led phase
MUMBAI: Adobe is changing the person at the top as it prepares to navigate its next chapter in an increasingly AI-driven software market.
Adobe has appointed Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive officer, effective December 1, 2026. Chakravarthy will also join Adobe’s board of directors.
Current CEO Shantanu Narayen will transition to the role of executive chair and work with Chakravarthy during the leadership changeover.
Chakravarthy currently serves as president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations. He joined Adobe in January 2020 as executive vice-president and general manager of its Digital Experience business.
He took on responsibility for Adobe’s worldwide field operations later in 2020 and was promoted to president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations in December 2021.
During his tenure, Chakravarthy has overseen the expansion of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and the development of products including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio and Brand Visibility. He has also played a role in scaling Adobe Experience Platform and introducing AI-focused products such as CX Enterprise Coworker.
His tenure also included Adobe’s acquisitions and integration of Workfront and Semrush.
Before joining Adobe, Chakravarthy spent four years as chief executive officer of Informatica, having joined the company in 2013 as an executive vice-president. His earlier career included executive roles at Symantec and VeriSign, as well as experience at McKinsey & Company.
Chakravarthy holds a Bachelor of Technology in computer science and engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, and a master’s degree and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The leadership transition comes as Adobe continues to reposition its software portfolio around artificial intelligence, including AI-powered tools for creativity, productivity and customer experience.
Narayen has led Adobe for decades and overseen its transformation from a software business centred on packaged products to a subscription-led cloud company. His move to executive chair will allow him to remain involved with the company as Chakravarthy takes responsibility for its next phase of growth.
The transition will take effect on December 1, marking a significant leadership change for one of the world’s largest creative and digital experience software companies.
