Who is Shantanu Narayen? Adobe CEO steps down after nearly two decades

Shantanu Narayen has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Adobe once a successor is appointed, but will continue to serve as Chair of the company, the design software firm confirmed in an official statement. The announcement came as the company released its financial results for its first quarter of FY2026, which ended on Feb. 27, 2026. Following the news, shares of Adobe listed on the NASDAQ Composite dropped 7 per cent in extended trading.

In a filing with Nasdaq, the company said Narayen, who has led Adobe as CEO for 18 years, has decided to transition from the role after the board selects his successor. "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 said in its filing.

Adobe added that its Board of Directors has begun the process of finding a replacement and has set up a special committee to oversee the search. "The Board of Directors has appointed Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director of Adobe, as Chair of the special committee to direct the process that will consider both internal and external candidates," the filing stated.

Who is Shantanu Narayen?

Shantanu Narayen was born on May 27, 1963, into a Telugu Hindu family in Hyderabad. His father used to run a plastics business, and his mother taught American literature with an unusual blend of Western writing and culture in 1960s India. He completed his schooling at the Hyderabad Public School, where Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also studied.

After his schooling, Narayen pursued a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering at University College of Engineering, Osmania University. Along with other engineers of his generation, Narayen decided to study abroad.

In the mid-1980s, Shantanu Narayen moved to the United States and earned a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University in Ohio in 1986. During that time, he met Reni, who later became his wife and went on to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology.

As he began building his career, Narayen continued his studies and completed an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley in 1993, attending classes at night while working full-time.

After receiving his master’s degree, Narayen started his professional journey at Measurex Automation Systems in 1986. In 1989, he joined Apple, where he held product development roles until 1995. Those years placed him at one of the world’s most influential technology companies during a period marked by both turbulence and innovation.

Before co-founding Pictra Inc., he also held director-level roles at Silicon Graphics in 1996. Pictra Inc. was an early digital photo-sharing start-up that prefigured the explosion of online imaging platforms in the decades that followed.

Later, Shantanu Narayen joined Adobe in 1998 and later rose to the roles of president and chief operating officer before becoming CEO in 2007. Under his leadership, Adobe transitioned its business model from selling software licenses to offering subscription-based services through Adobe Creative Cloud and broadened its range of digital products. When he joined Adobe in 1998 as vice president and general manager of its engineering technology group, Narayen had already built significant expertise in product development and enterprise software.