Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has announced he plans to step down later this year after leading the company for the past 18 years. He will remain with the company as chair of the board.
Narayen joined Adobe in 1988 as a vice president and general manager, before being appointed CEO in 2007.
He will work with Adobe’s board of directors to identify a successor.
In a letter to Adobe staff, Narayen said: “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.”
“The next era of creativity is being written right now—shaped by AI, by new workflows and by entirely new forms of expression,” he added.
Adobe announced its Q1 2026 results yesterday, revealing its AI-first annual revenue rate had more than tripled year-over-year. “That should be our next billion dollar business,” Narayen said, on a conference call with analysts.
