Adobe has announced a major leadership transition, with Anil Chakravarthy set to become the company’s next President and Chief Executive Officer from December 1, 2026.
Chakravarthy, who currently leads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations, will also join the company’s Board of Directors when he takes over as CEO.
At the same time, current CEO Shantanu Narayen will move into the role of Executive Chair. Narayen is expected to work closely with Chakravarthy during the transition and continue supporting Adobe as the company focuses on its next phase of growth.
The leadership change comes as Adobe continues to expand its work in artificial intelligence and develop software designed for creativity, productivity and customer experience.
Narayen said Chakravarthy has demonstrated strong leadership during his time at Adobe and has played an important role in developing new products and expanding the company’s business. He described him as an experienced leader with a deep understanding of Adobe and expressed confidence in his ability to guide the company through the AI-driven era.
Frank Calderoni, Adobe’s Lead Independent Director, said the Board unanimously selected Chakravarthy after a detailed selection process. He highlighted Chakravarthy’s work over the past six and a half years in expanding Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations.
Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Digital Experience business. Later that year, he also took responsibility for Adobe’s worldwide field operations serving enterprise customers across the company’s product portfolio.
In December 2021, he was promoted to President of Digital Experience and Worldwide Field Operations.
During his time at Adobe, Chakravarthy has been involved in developing and expanding several AI-focused products and customer experience solutions. His work has included Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio, and Brand Visibility, as well as efforts to scale Adobe Experience Platform.
He also played a role in Adobe’s acquisition and integration of Workfront and Semrush.
Before joining Adobe, Chakravarthy spent four years as CEO of Informatica, where he led the enterprise cloud data management business. He had joined Informatica in 2013 as an executive vice president.
Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at technology companies including Symantec and VeriSign, and also worked with McKinsey & Company.
Chakravarthy has an academic background in computer science and engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Technology from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India, followed by a Master of Science and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Speaking about his appointment, Chakravarthy said he was honored to lead Adobe at an important moment for the company. He said his focus would be on driving growth and strengthening Adobe’s position in the next generation of AI-powered and agentic software.
He also credited Narayen’s leadership with transforming Adobe’s business over the years and said the company is well-positioned for its next chapter.
Adobe is scheduled to host its Q3 FY2026 earnings call on September 10, 2026. The call and related investor materials will be available through Adobe’s Investor Relations platform.
The CEO transition marks a significant moment for Adobe as the company continues to adapt its products and business strategy around the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
