Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen will step down after 18 years once a successor is appointed, after which he will remain as chair of the Board. In a letter to employees, he reflected on the company's growth under his leadership and expressed confidence in Adobe's position to lead in the AI era.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella publicly praised Narayen's leadership and friendship, highlighting his impact on the software industry and his empathetic approach.
The article also details Narayen's background, including his education in India and the US, and his career path from Apple and a startup before joining Adobe in 1998.
Main Topics: Adobe CEO transition, executive praise and reflection, Narayen's career and education.
Adobe has announced that Shantanu Narayen will step down as CEO after 18 years, once a successor is appointed. He will remain as chair of the Board to support the incoming CEO.
Following the news, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a message on X, praising Narayenâs leadership and friendship. He wrote: âYouâve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded whatâs possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere.â
Nadella added: âWhat has always stood out to me is the empathy youâve brought to the creative process and the example youâve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all youâve done for Adobe and for our industry.â
Also Read: Who is Shantanu Narayen? Outgoing Adobe CEOâs life, career, education and compensation detailed
Narayenâs letter to employees
In a letter to staff, Narayen said: âI want to share with all of you that I have informed the Board of my decision to transition from my role as CEO of Adobe after over 18 years in the job (and the earnings call that I am about to conduct will be my 100th at the greatest company on the planet). Over the coming months, I will be working with Frank Calderoni, our lead Director, and the Board of Directors to identify my successor and to ensure a smooth transition. I will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO just as John and Chuck did when I took on this role.â
Reflecting on his journey at Adobe, he said: âThis is not a goodbye by any means but a time for reflection. 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 and the people I met during the interview process. 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. Over this time, we grew from ~3K employees to >30K employees, delivered technology that touched billions of people as customers of our products or the digital experiences that our customers create, leading to our revenue growing from <$1B to >$25B. I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.â
On the current AI disruption, Narayen wrote: âOur mission, Empower Everyone to Create, represents an even larger opportunity in the AI era. By delivering an innovative roadmap aligned to our audience strategy, we are positioning Adobe to lead this next chapter. The next era of creativity is being written right now â shaped by AI, by new workflows and by entirely new forms of expression. Adobe has never waited for the future to arrive. Weâve anticipated it. Weâve built it. And weâve led it. What gives me the greatest confidence isnât just our technology â itâs our people. Your ingenuity, resilience and commitment to customers are what will define this moment.â
Education and career
Shantanu Narayen was born in Hyderabad, India. He earned a bachelorâs degree in electronics and communication engineering at the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad.
He moved to the US to pursue a masterâs degree in computer science at Bowling Green State University. While working, he completed an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, in 1993.
Narayen started his career in 1986 at Measurex Automation Systems. In 1989, he joined Apple, working in product development roles until 1995.
In 1996, he cofounded Pictra Inc., an early startup focused on digital photo sharing over the internet. And finally, in 1998, he joined Adobe as vice president and general manager of the Engineering Technology Group. He was appointed CEO in December 2007.
Following the news, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a message on X, praising Narayenâs leadership and friendship. He wrote: âYouâve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded whatâs possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere.â
Nadella added: âWhat has always stood out to me is the empathy youâve brought to the creative process and the example youâve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all youâve done for Adobe and for our industry.â
Also Read: Who is Shantanu Narayen? Outgoing Adobe CEOâs life, career, education and compensation detailed
Narayenâs letter to employees
In a letter to staff, Narayen said: âI want to share with all of you that I have informed the Board of my decision to transition from my role as CEO of Adobe after over 18 years in the job (and the earnings call that I am about to conduct will be my 100th at the greatest company on the planet). Over the coming months, I will be working with Frank Calderoni, our lead Director, and the Board of Directors to identify my successor and to ensure a smooth transition. I will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO just as John and Chuck did when I took on this role.â
Reflecting on his journey at Adobe, he said: âThis is not a goodbye by any means but a time for reflection. 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 and the people I met during the interview process. 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. Over this time, we grew from ~3K employees to >30K employees, delivered technology that touched billions of people as customers of our products or the digital experiences that our customers create, leading to our revenue growing from <$1B to >$25B. I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.â
On the current AI disruption, Narayen wrote: âOur mission, Empower Everyone to Create, represents an even larger opportunity in the AI era. By delivering an innovative roadmap aligned to our audience strategy, we are positioning Adobe to lead this next chapter. The next era of creativity is being written right now â shaped by AI, by new workflows and by entirely new forms of expression. Adobe has never waited for the future to arrive. Weâve anticipated it. Weâve built it. And weâve led it. What gives me the greatest confidence isnât just our technology â itâs our people. Your ingenuity, resilience and commitment to customers are what will define this moment.â
Education and career
Shantanu Narayen was born in Hyderabad, India. He earned a bachelorâs degree in electronics and communication engineering at the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad.
He moved to the US to pursue a masterâs degree in computer science at Bowling Green State University. While working, he completed an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, in 1993.
Narayen started his career in 1986 at Measurex Automation Systems. In 1989, he joined Apple, working in product development roles until 1995.
In 1996, he cofounded Pictra Inc., an early startup focused on digital photo sharing over the internet. And finally, in 1998, he joined Adobe as vice president and general manager of the Engineering Technology Group. He was appointed CEO in December 2007.
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