Bengaluru: Bengaluru-born technology executive Anil Chakravarthy has been appointed the next president and chief executive officer of Adobe, adding another Indian-origin leader to the growing list of executives heading major global technology companies.
Chakravarthy, currently president of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business, will take over as CEO on December 1, 2026, succeeding Shantanu Narayen, who has led the company for more than 18 years.
Narayen to become executive chair
Narayen will step down as Adobe’s CEO and take up the role of executive chair. The company said he will work closely with Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.
Chakravarthy’s appointment comes at an important phase for Adobe as the technology industry undergoes rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence.
Adobe is facing increasing competition from AI-powered platforms and products developed by companies such as Canva, Anthropic and OpenAI. Chakravarthy’s experience in enterprise technology, digital experience and artificial intelligence is therefore expected to play an important role in guiding the company’s next phase of growth.
From South Bengaluru to global technology leadership
Born and raised in South Bengaluru, Chakravarthy completed his schooling at Vijaya High School in Jayanagar.
He subsequently pursued his pre-university education at National College, Basavanagudi, between 1983 and 1985.
He later moved to Varanasi to study computer science at the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. At the age of 21, he travelled to the United States for higher studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
At MIT, Chakravarthy earned a master’s degree and subsequently completed his PhD in 1995.
Career spanning technology and business leadership
Chakravarthy began his professional career with McKinsey before working with companies including Logictier and VeriSign.
He joined Symantec in 2004 and spent nearly a decade with the company. During his tenure, he rose to become executive vice-president of Information Security, overseeing engineering, product management and operations.
His experience at Symantec helped strengthen his interest in taking on a chief executive role.
In 2013, Chakravarthy joined Informatica as executive vice-president and chief product officer. Two years later, he was appointed CEO of the company, a position he held until 2020.
Chakravarthy’s journey at Adobe
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, working with enterprise customers across Adobe’s product portfolio.
In December 2021, he was promoted to president of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations.
In his current role, Chakravarthy has played a key part in expanding Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business. His work has focused on using real-time data and AI to help businesses deliver personalised experiences across digital platforms.
He has also overseen the development of AI-powered and agentic products, including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio and Brand Visibility, while contributing to the growth of Adobe Experience Platform.
His responsibilities have also included involvement in Adobe’s acquisitions of Workfront and Semrush and their integration into the company’s wider portfolio.
Narayen backs incoming CEO
Narayen praised Chakravarthy’s track record in developing products and expressed confidence in his ability to lead Adobe as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technology sector.
The leadership transition comes at a time when Adobe is increasingly focusing on AI-powered tools and services across its Creative Cloud, Document Cloud and Experience Cloud businesses.
Chakravarthy’s experience across product development, enterprise technology, digital transformation and AI positions him to lead the company through this rapidly changing environment.
India remains key to Adobe’s operations
Chakravarthy’s appointment also highlights the importance of India to Adobe’s global operations.
Adobe has more than 8,500 employees in India across its campuses in Bengaluru, Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai and Hyderabad. India is the company’s largest workforce base outside the United States.
Adobe began its operations in India in 1997 and has since developed the country into a major centre for research, development and innovation.
Indian teams contribute to more than a third of Adobe’s innovation efforts across Creative Cloud, Document Cloud and Experience Cloud.
Several major Adobe products, including Illustrator and Acrobat, have also benefited from product development led by teams in India.
For Bengaluru, Chakravarthy’s elevation represents a notable milestone, given his roots in the city and his journey from studying in South Bengaluru to taking up one of the most prominent leadership positions in the global technology industry.