Anil Chakravarthy to Lead Adobe: Indian Origin Anil Chakravarthy to Lead Adobe as CEO
Adobe has named Indian origin executive Anil Chakravarthy as its next CEO, succeeding Shantanu Narayen as the software giant prepares for its next phase of growth.
Anil Chakravarthy to Lead Adobe: Adobe is set to have another Indian origin leader at the top. The software company has chosen Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and CEO, with the change taking effect on December 1, 2026. Shantanu Narayen, who has led Adobe for nearly two decades, will move into the role of executive chair.
Chakravarthy is already a familiar face inside Adobe. He joined the company in January 2020 and has held senior responsibilities across its Digital Experience business and worldwide field operations. He currently leads the Customer Experience Orchestration business and works closely with enterprise customers.
His appointment comes at an important time for Adobe. Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the creative software market, while products from newer competitors are putting pressure on established players. Adobe has also been pushing its own AI based products as it tries to stay ahead in the changing market.
For Narayen, the CEO transition marks the end of a long chapter at Adobe. He became CEO in 2007 and has overseen the company’s transformation into one of the world’s biggest creative and digital experience software companies. He will continue working with Chakravarthy after moving to the executive chair position.
Chakravarthy brings considerable experience from outside Adobe as well. Before joining the company, he spent four years as CEO of Informatica. He had earlier held senior positions at Symantec and VeriSign and began his professional career with McKinsey and Company.
His academic background is also closely linked to technology. Chakravarthy earned his Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi. He later completed a Master of Science and a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During his time at Adobe, Chakravarthy has been involved in expanding the company’s digital experience operations and developing products that use AI for customer engagement and marketing. Adobe says he has helped grow the Customer Experience Orchestration business and supported products including GenStudio and Adobe CX Enterprise.
Narayen has backed the choice, saying Chakravarthy has a strong understanding of Adobe’s business and is well placed to lead the company through the next stage of its AI driven transformation. The board also unanimously approved his appointment.
The leadership change will formally take place on December 1. Until then, Narayen will continue as CEO, while Adobe prepares for Chakravarthy to take over the company’s top executive role.
