Adobe names Chakravarthy CEO, Narayen exec chair as AI race heats up

Adobe announced that Anil Chakravarthy, currently leading its Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations, will become the company’s next president and chief executive officer effective December 1, 2026, replacing Shantanu Narayen. Narayen, who has led Adobe for nearly two decades, will transition to executive chair and help manage the handoff. The appointment positions Adobe’s leadership to continue its shift toward AI-driven products, reflecting Chakravarthy’s role in developing offerings such as GenStudio and AI-agent based marketing tools tied to Adobe’s customer experience platforms. The news comes as Adobe continues racing to keep pace with the way “agents” are reshaping the software industry. In market reaction, Adobe shares reportedly fell about 2% in extended trading.