Adobe announced on March 12 that its long-time Indian-American chief executive Shantanu Narayen plans to step down after 18 years at the helm. The move comes as the design software maker seeks to navigate rapid shifts in the artificial intelligence (AI) era and counter growing competition.
Narayen will continue as CEO until a successor is appointed, after which he will remain with the company as board chair. Adobe's lead independent director Frank Calderoni will be leading a special committee to oversee a search process that will consider both internal and external candidates, the company said.
In an email to employees, Narayen said he will work with Calderoni and Adobe's board of directors to identify his successor and ensure a smooth transition.
"I will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO just as (Adobe co-founders) John (Warnock) and Chuck (Charles Geschke) did when I took on this role," he said.
Calderoni said, “On behalf of the board, I want to recognize Shantanu’s contributions as CEO and architect of Adobe’s transformation over the past 18 years, and for positioning Adobe for success in the AI-driven era."
"As we take the next step in succession planning, we are focused on selecting the right leader for this next exciting chapter of the company’s growth and are grateful for Shantanu’s continued leadership as CEO to ensure a smooth transition," he added.
What is Shantanu Narayen’s educational and professional background?
Narayen grew up in Hyderabad and holds a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication engineering from University College of Engineering, Osmania University. He later moved to the United States to earn a master's degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University in 1986. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, University of California.
Narayen joined Adobe in 1988 as a vice president and general manager of its engineering technology group. He became CEO in 2007 and chairman of the board in 2017. Before joining Adobe, he held product development roles at Apple and Silicon Graphics and co-founded an early photo-sharing startup, Pictra.
During his tenure, Adobe's workforce expanded from 3,000 to over 30,000 employees and revenue grew from under $1 billion to more than $25 billion. He also led the company's move away from traditional software licenses to cloud-based software subscriptions.
Also Read: Real value for customers is in interface, not in data or AI models: Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen
"What attracted me to Adobe 28 years ago was our leadership in creating new market categories, world-class products, a relentless desire to innovate in every functional area of the company," Narayen wrote in the email "We have continued to create new markets, deliver world-class products, drive innovation in everything we do and attract and retain the best and brightest employees."
Narayen said the company's mission to empower everyone to create represents an even larger opportunity in the AI era.
"The next era of creativity is being written right now — shaped by AI, by new workflows and by entirely new forms of expression...What gives me the greatest confidence isn’t just our technology — it’s our people. Your ingenuity, resilience and commitment to customers are what will define this moment," he wrote.
What is Adobe's AI strategy?
Over the years, Adobe has focused on weaving generative AI capabilities across its range of products, including Photoshop, Acrobat, Premiere, Illustrator, and its enterprise products under the Experience Cloud offering.
The company also offers its own family of creative generative AI models, Adobe Firefly, designed to produce commercially safe images and videos.
Narayen said the annualised revenue from AI-first products more than tripled on a yearly basis in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 ended Feb 27, 2026.
“That should be our next billion dollar business,” Narayen said on a conference call with analysts on March 12. He also noted that Adobe surpassed 850 million monthly active users across Acrobat, Creative Cloud, Express and Firefly, achieving 17 percent year-over-year growth.
In 2022, Adobe also sought to acquire Figma, the collaborative design platform, for $20 billion, a deal that would have marked the biggest-ever takeover of a private software company. However, the companies called off the deal in December 2023 following significant regulatory hurdles in Europe and the UK.
Figma eventually went public in a blockbuster IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2025, marking one of the largest tech listings of the year.
"Shantanu is a leader I’ve come to know and respect deeply. He's thoughtful, kind and relentless in pursuit of Adobe's vision. Grateful for the time we spent together and wishing him all the best in the years ahead," Figma co-founder Dylan Field wrote in a post on X (previously Twitter) on March 12.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also congratulated Narayen on a "legendary run at Adobe".
"You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere," he wrote in a X post "What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader"
Narayen and Nadella share a common love for cricket and are major investors in the sport in the United States, helping launch the Major League Cricket (MLC) professional Twenty20 league, which secured $120 million in funding in 2022.
They are also part of an ownership consortium of London Spirit, a franchise team in The Hundred cricket tournament. The consortium is led by Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and also includes Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Narayen is also part of the ownership group of San Francisco Unicorns franchise in MLC, along with YouTube chief Neal Mohan.
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