Adobe New CEO Anil Chakravarthy set to lead AI era

Adobe is preparing for a major leadership transition, with Adobe's new CEO, Anil Chakravarthy, set to take over as president and chief executive officer from December 1, 2026. The move will also bring a change in Narayen’s role, with Shantanu Narayen moving to executive chair and continuing to work closely with Chakravarthy.

The change comes at a point when Adobe is positioning its next phase around AI, creativity, productivity and customer experience. Rather than being an outside appointment, Chakravarthy’s elevation brings an executive who has spent more than six years leading major parts of Adobe’s business.

Chakravarthy brings deep Adobe experience

Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as executive vice president and general manager of its Digital Experience business. Later that year, he also took responsibility for worldwide field operations serving enterprise customers across Adobe’s portfolio.

He became president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations in December 2021. During his tenure, Adobe expanded its Customer Experience Orchestration business, with products including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio and Brand Visibility highlighted as examples of its AI-led product development.

His role also extended to scaling Adobe Experience Platform and introducing innovations such as CX Enterprise Coworker. He also championed the acquisition and integration of Workfront and Semrush, adding another layer to his experience in expanding Adobe’s business.

Shantanu Narayen moves to executive chair

The leadership change does not mark a complete break with Adobe’s current direction. Narayen will transition to executive chair and work with Chakravarthy through the change.

Adobe’s board described Chakravarthy as the right leader for its next stage, pointing to his work in innovation-led growth, talent development and maintaining the company’s culture and values. The selection followed a special committee-led process chaired by Lead Independent Director Frank Calderoni.

For Adobe, this creates a transition that combines continuity with a new leadership focus. Chakravarthy already understands the company’s products, enterprise customers and internal operations, while Narayen will remain involved in supporting the transition.

AI becomes central to Adobe’s next chapter

Chakravarthy’s comments also point clearly toward where Adobe sees its next opportunity. He highlighted the company’s role in the next era of agentic software across creativity, productivity and customer experience.

His background also aligns with that direction. Before Adobe, Chakravarthy was CEO of Informatica for four years and held executive roles at Informatica, Symantec, VeriSign and McKinsey & Company. His academic background includes computer science and engineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, followed by a master’s degree and Ph.D. from MIT.

The Adobe leadership change 2026 therefore places an experienced internal executive at the centre of the company’s AI-focused transition. With Narayen moving to executive chair, Adobe is retaining leadership continuity while giving Chakravarthy responsibility for its next phase of growth.

What the transition means for Adobe

The key takeaway from the appointment is that Adobe’s next CEO already has a strong connection to the company’s enterprise business and AI-led product development. His experience across customer experience, field operations, acquisitions and product expansion gives the transition a clear internal foundation.

Chakravarthy will join Adobe’s Board of Directors and assume the CEO role on December 1, 2026. Adobe is also scheduled to host its Q3 FY2026 earnings call on September 10, adding another near-term point of interest as the company moves toward the leadership transition.

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