Adobe’s Board of Directors has named Anil Chakravarthy as the company’s next President and CEO, effective December 1, 2026. Current CEO Shantanu Narayen will transition to executive chair, working closely with Chakravarthy to guide Adobe through its ongoing shift toward AI-driven software.
Adobe announced a major leadership transition on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The company’s Board of Directors confirmed that Anil Chakravarthy, currently president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations, will become Adobe’s next president and chief executive officer. He will also join Adobe’s Board of Directors, with the appointment taking effect on December 1, 2026.
Alongside this announcement, current CEO Shantanu Narayen will step into a new role as executive chair. According to Adobe, Narayen will work closely with Chakravarthy during the transition period, helping guide the company’s continued transformation as it navigates an increasingly AI-driven software landscape.
Quick Facts: Adobe’s Leadership Transition
- New CEO: Anil Chakravarthy
- Effective date: December 1, 2026
- Announcement date: September 3, 2026
- Outgoing CEO: Shantanu Narayen
- Narayen’s new role: Executive Chair, Adobe Board of Directors
- Chakravarthy’s current role: President, Customer Experience Orchestration and worldwide field operations
- Chakravarthy joined Adobe: January 2020
- Chakravarthy’s prior role: CEO of Informatica, four years
- Selection process led by: Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director, Adobe
- Education: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering, IIT (BHU) Varanasi; MS and PhD, MIT
Who Is Anil Chakravarthy?
Anil Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as executive vice president and general manager, leading the company’s Digital Experience business. Within a year, his responsibilities expanded significantly. In September 2020, he took on the additional role of leading Adobe’s worldwide field operations, covering enterprise customers across Adobe’s full portfolio of creativity and productivity products.
His rise within Adobe continued from there. In December 2021, the company promoted him to president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations, a role that later evolved into his current position overseeing Customer Experience Orchestration.
Chakravarthy’s Track Record at Adobe
Under Chakravarthy’s leadership, Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business grew into an industry leader in its category. He guided the development of several market-leading products, including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio, and Brand Visibility, tools that Adobe describes as category-defining products built around AI-powered customer experience delivery.
Beyond product development, Chakravarthy played a central role in scaling the Adobe Experience Platform and introducing newer innovations such as CX Enterprise Coworker. He also led two significant acquisitions during his tenure, successfully championing both the acquisition and integration of Workfront and Semrush into Adobe’s broader business.
Anil Chakravarthy’s Adobe Career Timeline at a Glance
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| January 2020 | Joined Adobe as EVP and GM, Digital Experience business |
| September 2020 | Took on leadership of worldwide field operations |
| December 2021 | Promoted to President, Digital Experience and worldwide field operations |
| September 3, 2026 | Named Adobe’s next President and CEO |
| December 1, 2026 | Officially becomes President and CEO, joins Board of Directors |
Life Before Adobe
Chakravarthy brought substantial technology leadership experience with him when he joined Adobe. Before this role, he spent four years as CEO of Informatica, a global leader in enterprise cloud data management. He had originally joined Informatica in 2013 as executive vice president, before rising to the top leadership position there.
His earlier career included senior roles at several major technology companies, including Symantec, VeriSign, and McKinsey & Company. This broad base of experience across enterprise software, cybersecurity, and management consulting gave him wide exposure to different facets of the technology industry well before he took on his current leadership responsibilities at Adobe.
Academically, Chakravarthy holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi (now IIT BHU), India. He went on to complete both a Master of Science and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
How the Selection Process Unfolded
Adobe’s Board of Directors ran a formal selection process to choose its next CEO, led by Frank Calderoni, the company’s Lead Independent Director. Calderoni headed a special committee specifically tasked with overseeing this search.
Describing the outcome, Calderoni said the Board had unanimously determined that Chakravarthy represented the right leader for Adobe’s next chapter of growth. He specifically pointed to Chakravarthy’s six and a half years transforming and expanding Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations, achieved through innovation-led growth and a strong track record of developing and retaining talent.
What Shantanu Narayen and Anil Chakravarthy Said
Outgoing CEO Shantanu Narayen expressed strong confidence in his successor. He described Chakravarthy as an experienced, values-driven leader with deep knowledge of Adobe’s business and a proven record of building category-defining products. Narayen said he looks forward to working closely with Chakravarthy in his new capacity as executive chair.
For his part, Chakravarthy described the appointment as a deeply honoring moment, arriving at what he called a pivotal time for Adobe. He said he feels energized by the opportunity to drive Adobe’s leadership in the next era of agentic software spanning creativity, productivity, and customer experience. He also credited Narayen’s leadership in transforming Adobe’s business model over the decades, saying it has positioned the company well for its next phase of growth.
What This Means for Adobe’s Future
This leadership transition arrives at a significant moment for Adobe, as the broader software industry continues shifting toward AI-driven tools and agentic software capabilities. Chakravarthy’s background, spanning enterprise data management, customer experience technology, and large-scale product development, positions him to lead Adobe through this transition.
With Narayen remaining closely involved as executive chair, Adobe appears to be prioritising continuity alongside change. This structure suggests the company intends to preserve institutional knowledge and strategic direction while Chakravarthy takes on full operational leadership of the business going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About the Appointment
Anil Chakravarthy, currently president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations, has been named Adobe’s next President and CEO.
His appointment takes effect on December 1, 2026, at which point he will also join Adobe’s Board of Directors.
Narayen will transition to the role of executive chair of Adobe’s Board of Directors, working closely with Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.
Adobe announced the leadership transition on September 3, 2026.
Frank Calderoni, Adobe’s Lead Independent Director, led the special committee that oversaw the CEO selection process.
Chakravarthy’s Background
He joined Adobe in January 2020 as executive vice president and general manager of the Digital Experience business.
He led the development of products including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio, and Brand Visibility, and played a key role in scaling the Adobe Experience Platform.
He served as CEO of Informatica, a global enterprise cloud data management company, for four years, after joining the company in 2013 as executive vice president.
Before Informatica, he held senior roles at Symantec, VeriSign, and McKinsey & Company.
He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India, along with a Master of Science and a PhD from MIT.
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