Satya Nadella Praises Shantanu Narayen's "Legendary Run" as Adobe CEO Steps Down

Nadella posted on social media platform X, "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."

"What has always stood out to me is the empathy you've brought to the creative process and the example you've set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you've done for Adobe and for our industry," Nadella added.

San Jose-based software company Adobe said that its long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen, will step down after nearly two decades in the role.

Narayen will transition from the CEO role after a successor is appointed but will remain as board chair to support the leadership change, the company said.

The board has formed a special committee to oversee the search process, considering both internal and external candidates.

"On behalf of the Board, I want to recognise 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," said Frank Calderoni, Lead Independent Director of Adobe.

Under Naryan's leadership, Adobe shifted from selling packaged software to a subscription-based cloud platform and expanded its products across digital media, creative tools, and customer experience services. The company's flagship platforms - including Photoshop, Acrobat, and Creative Cloud - have become central tools for creators, businesses, and digital publishers worldwide.

On his long tenure, Narayen said, "We grew from 3K employees to -30K employees, delivered technology that touched billions of people as customers of our products or the digital experiences that our customers create, leading to our revenue growing from over $1 billion to around $25 billion."

- IANS