Adobe has appointed Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive officer, with the Indian Institute of Technology graduate set to succeed Shantanu Narayen as CEO on December 1. Chakravarthy will also join Adobe’s board as the company navigates growing pressure from artificial intelligence and changing competition in the software industry. Narayen, who has led Adobe for 18 years, will move into the position of executive chair and work closely with Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.
Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 after serving as chief executive of enterprise cloud data management company Informatica. He initially became executive vice-president and general manager of Adobe’s Digital Experience business before taking responsibility for worldwide field operations later that year. In December 2021, he was promoted to president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations. His most recent role was president of Adobe’s customer experience orchestration business and worldwide field operations.
Narayen described Chakravarthy as an experienced transformational leader with strong values, integrity and extensive knowledge of Adobe’s business. Chakravarthy, in a statement shared on LinkedIn, said AI innovation, customers and employees would remain among his priorities as he takes charge of the company. He also expressed gratitude to Narayen and Adobe’s board for their confidence in him, while saying he believed the company had strong opportunities ahead.
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Chakravarthy has held senior positions at companies including Symantec and VeriSign and previously worked at McKinsey & Company. He earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi, followed by a master’s degree and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also serves on the board of IT services and consulting company FIS, adding experience across technology, consulting and enterprise software businesses.
His appointment comes at a crucial period for Adobe as generative AI changes the creative and software industries. The company has been incorporating AI capabilities into its products and has pointed to demand for AI-powered tools while facing questions from investors about how rapidly advancing technology could affect its traditional business. Chakravarthy has played a role in developing Adobe’s customer experience orchestration business, which uses real-time data and AI to help companies personalise digital interactions.
During his tenure at Adobe, Chakravarthy has also been involved with AI-related products including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio and Brand Visibility. He played roles in Adobe’s acquisitions of Workfront and Semrush and their integration into the company’s portfolio. Adobe’s shares have faced pressure in recent years amid wider concerns about AI disruption across the software sector. Chakravarthy will therefore take over with the task of balancing Adobe’s established creative software business with continued investment in AI-driven products and services.
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