Who is Anil Chakravarthy, Adobe's new CEO?
What's the story
Adobe has announced the appointment of Anil Chakravarthy as its new president and chief executive officer (CEO). The move comes as the company prepares for a new era in the software industry, driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Chakravarthy will officially take over from Shantanu Narayen on December 1. He will also be joining Adobe's board while Narayen transitions into an executive chair role.
Leadership transition
Narayen's 18-year tenure as CEO
Narayen's departure as CEO ends his 18-year reign in the position. He joined Adobe in 1998 and became its CEO in 2007.
Chakravarthy, who has been with Adobe for nearly seven years, was previously heading customer experience orchestration business and global field operations.
Prior to joining Adobe, he was the CEO of Informatica, a company specializing in enterprise data management solutions.
Educational credentials
Chakravarthy's academic background
Chakravarthy has an impressive academic background, having completed his BTech in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi and pursuing a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He expressed his excitement for the new role on LinkedIn, saying he was "honored and incredibly excited for what's ahead at Adobe."
He also emphasized that customers, employees, and AI innovation would be his top priorities as CEO.
Market response
Adobe's stock performance and investor concerns
The leadership change comes at a time when Adobe's stock performance has been under pressure.
The company's shares have fallen some 18% this year after declining over 21% in 2025.
Investors are concerned about the potential impact of generative AI on traditional software companies like Adobe, as new tools continue to change how people create and interact with digital content.