Adobe Announces Anil Chakravarthy as New CEO Amidst AI Challenges
Adobe Inc. has unveiled a significant shift in leadership, appointing Anil Chakravarthy as its forthcoming President and Chief Executive Officer, effective from December 1, 2026. He is set to replace Shantanu Narayen, who will be stepping down after a remarkable 18-year tenure, transitioning to the role of Executive Chair.
Chakravarthy, the current head of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration division and worldwide field operations, became a part of Adobe in January 2020. His previous role was as the CEO of enterprise data management firm, Informatica. The board’s special committee conducted a meticulous selection process before unanimously approving his appointment.
The change in CEO comes at a time when Adobe is grappling with the increasing challenges posed by artificial intelligence disruption. The company’s stock has seen a decline of 25% in 2024, a further 21% in 2025, and is down 18% so far in 2026. This is due to investor concerns that generative AI tools could potentially diminish demand for the company’s subscription-based creative software.
Chakravarthy has expressed his intent to focus on fostering growth in what he terms as the upcoming era of “agentic software”. This involves the deep integration of AI across Adobe’s comprehensive product portfolio, which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, and Creative Cloud — catering to over 35 million subscribers worldwide.
Following the announcement, shares dipped by approximately 3%, indicating the challenging journey ahead for the San Jose-based software behemoth.
Source: CNBC — Adobe Appoints Anil Chakravarthy as CEO, Succeeding Shantanu Narayen