A New Leader for Adobe’s AI Transformation
IIT-BHU alumnus Anil Chakravarthy is set to lead Adobe through one of the most consequential transitions in its history. Adobe announced on September 3, 2026, that Chakravarthy will become its next president and CEO on December 1, succeeding Shantanu Narayen, who will move to executive chair. Chakravarthy will also join Adobe’s board.
From IIT-BHU to Global Technology Leadership
Chakravarthy’s career spans consulting, cybersecurity, enterprise data management and customer-experience technology. After McKinsey & Company, he held senior leadership roles at Symantec and later joined Informatica in 2013. He became its CEO in 2015 and led its transformation towards cloud and subscription-based data management.
He joined Adobe in January 2020 to lead its Digital Experience business, subsequently taking responsibility for worldwide field operations. He currently heads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and global field operations. His academic credentials include a B. Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT-BHU and an MS and PhD from MIT.
The Challenge: Winning in an AI-First Software Market
Chakravarthy inherits Adobe at a pivotal moment. Generative and agentic AI are rapidly changing how people create, edit, market and consume digital content. AI-native companies and established technology rivals are increasingly challenging Adobe’s traditional advantages, while investors want clearer evidence that AI will create sustainable growth rather than disrupt existing software businesses.
The challenge is therefore bigger than simply adding AI features. Adobe must transform its flagship ecosystem—including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat and Experience Cloud—into platforms where AI agents can increasingly execute complex creative, productivity and customer-experience workflows.
The Mission: From AI Assistance to Agentic Software
Chakravarthy has already indicated where he wants to take Adobe. Following his appointment, he said he was energised by the opportunity to drive Adobe’s leadership in the “next era of agentic software” for creativity, productivity and customer experience.
That mission will require balancing innovation with trust, copyright protection, enterprise security and human control. Adobe must make AI genuinely useful while ensuring its technology remains commercially attractive to professional creators and large organisations.
What Chakravarthy Will Need to Deliver
His expected responsibilities will extend across product innovation, AI monetisation, enterprise growth, global sales and customer adoption. His experience at Informatica gives him particular expertise in data infrastructure, while his Adobe tenure provides an understanding of customers and the company’s AI-driven Experience business.
Adobe says Chakravarthy has already helped develop AI-powered offerings including GenStudio, Brand Visibility and Adobe CX Enterprise, while scaling Adobe Experience Platform and integrating acquisitions such as Workfront and Semrush.
A Leadership Test Defined by AI
Chakravarthy’s appointment represents both continuity and a strategic reset. Narayen’s executive-chair role provides institutional stability, while the new CEO brings experience across data, cloud, enterprise software and AI-powered customer experiences.
For Chakravarthy, the task is unmistakable: ensure Adobe does not merely participate in the AI revolution, but helps define its next chapter. His success will ultimately depend on turning powerful AI capabilities into products customers trust, use and pay for—while preserving the creativity that made Adobe a global software leader.
(With agency inputs)
