Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to Step Down After 18 Years

Narayen told employees that Adobe’s future growth would hinge on artificial intelligence, new creative workflows and continued innovation.

A woman walks past a sign for Adobe during the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit in Mumbai, India, on May 2, 2025. Indranil/Getty Images

Adobe announced on March 12 that its chief executive, Shantanu Narayen, will step down after a successor is appointed, bringing an end to an 18-year tenure.

The maker of popular software products, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Premiere Pro, and After Effects, said that a special committee, led by Frank Calderoni, will lead the search for Narayen’s successor.