Satya Nadella Hails Shantanu Narayen As Adobe CEO Announces Transition

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Satya Nadella has praised Shantanu Narayen after the company announced that its long-serving chief executive will step down following nearly two decades in the role.

“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella posted. He added that Narayen’s leadership reflected “the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process” and thanked him for his “friendship, mentorship.”

San Jose-based Adobe said Narayen will transition from the CEO role after a successor is appointed and will remain as board chair to support the transition. The board has formed a special committee to oversee the search, considering both internal and external candidates.

Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director at Adobe, said, “On behalf of the Board, I want to recognize Shantanu’s contributions as CEO and architect of Adobe’s transformation over the past 18 years, and for positioning Adobe for success in the AI-driven era.” He added that the board is focused on selecting the next leader while ensuring continuity.

In a message to employees, Narayen said he would work with the board to identify a successor and ensure a smooth transition. “I will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO,” he said.

Reflecting on his tenure, Narayen said the company expanded significantly during his leadership. “We grew from 3K employees to over 30K employees, leading to our revenue growing from over $1 billion to around $25 billion,” he said, adding that Adobe’s products reach billions of users.

Narayen, who became CEO in 2007, oversaw Adobe’s shift from packaged software to a subscription-based cloud model. Products such as Photoshop, Acrobat, and Creative Cloud are used widely by creators and businesses. (IANS)