Adobe to hunt for next CEO as Shantanu Narayen decides to step down
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San Jose–headquartered Fortune 500 tech major Adobe will be looking for a new CEO as Shantanu Narayen has decided to transition out of his current role. The development came alongside the company’s first quarterly results, where the tech firm said its AI-first annual revenue run rate had more than tripled year over year and subscription revenue grew 13%.
The company’s release said, “Shantanu Narayen, who has served as CEO of Adobe for eighteen years, has decided to transition from his position as CEO after a successor has been appointed. Narayen will remain as Chair of the Board.”
The company’s board has formed a special committee, led by Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director of Adobe, to oversee the process of finding the company’s next CEO, where it will consider both internal and external candidates.
“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,” said Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director of Adobe, in a statement.
What did Shantanu Narayen tell employees in his email?
“This is not a goodbye by any means but a time for reflection.”
In his email to employees, Shantanu wrote that he had informed them of his decision to transition from his role as the CEO of Adobe after over 18 years in the job.
In the coming months, he will be working with Frank Calderoni and the Board of Directors to identify a successor and ensure a smooth transition. He further said that he will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO.
“This 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,” he wrote in his email.
In his nearly two-decade stint with the company, during which revenue grew from less than $1 billion to more than $25 billion, he said that Adobe was looking at AI as an ever-larger opportunity.
“The next era of creativity is being written right now — shaped by AI, by new workflows, and by entirely new forms of expression. Adobe has never waited for the future to arrive. We’ve anticipated it. We’ve built it. And we’ve led it. 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 further wrote.