MAM
Maxus’ Sanchayeeta Verma is the new The Advertising Club Bangalore president
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club, Bangalore has elected Maxus South India and South Asia managing partner Sanchayeeta Verma as the President of the club. Verma has taken over the mantle from Malavika Harita of Saatchi & Saatchi Focus Network.
Verma started off her career with the TTK group in 1994. She exudes over 22 years of rich experience in advertising, marketing, media and communications and has worked across various industry sectors. Verma has been associated with Ad Club since the last 3 years.
Speaking about her upcoming plans for Bangalore Ad Club, Verma said, “Bangalore has a perfect balance of seasoned thought-leaders with an increasing number of dynamic, young and fresh talent which I would like to capitalize through our new initiatives at the club. We are gearing up for our biggest annual award night – The Big Bang awards which recognizes the creative excellence in media and communications. We also plan to introduce events which will go beyond work into play and collaborate all our members. Some of the initiatives in the pipeline are incentivizing Ad Club members to bring in some leading rock bands for members-only nights and a gaming event to bring out the gamer in every one of us.”
Apart from Verma, Sonia Serrao from Tata Global Beverages, Akshar Peerbhoy of Maa Communications and Nidhi Lall of Saatchi Focus Network are the new additions to the Managing Committee of the Club.
The registrations for Big Bang Awards 2016 have already started and last date to submit entries is August 5, 2016. Keeping in mind the changing media scenario, many categories have been added this year especially in the digital, strategy and data spaces.
Commenting on the appointment, Ad Club Bangalore executive director Arvind Kumar said, “The Ad Club will benefit from the vast experience and exposure Sanchayeeta has in her role as Managing Partner of South India and South Asia for Maxus Group. Her enthusiasm and energy to increase the Ad Club activities and enhance its image and make it more contemporary, will help in making Bangalore Ad Club into a very active body in South.”
The Ad Club Bangalore holds a variety of events right from Sports tournaments to Advertising and Creative Quiz, Panel discussions and many more to engage a larger audience at the Club.
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
