30 years in technology: Anil Chakravarthy's journey from Bengaluru and IIT-MIT to becoming Adobe's next CEO
Anil Chakravarthy , a global technology leader of Indian origin, has been named the next President and CEO of Adobe. He will formally succeed Shantanu Narayen on December 1, 2026, bringing an end to Narayen’s historic 18-year tenure. Narayen will transition to the role of Executive Chair.
For Chakravarthy, the appointment marks the latest chapter in a career that has taken him from classrooms in South Bengaluru to some of the most influential technology companies in the world. His journey combines a strong academic foundation at IIT and MIT with three decades of experience spanning management consulting, cybersecurity, enterprise software, cloud data management and, most recently, Adobe’s digital experience business.
The Bengaluru Roots: Where the Journey BeganLong before he reached the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, Chakravarthy’s journey began in Bengaluru.
He completed his early schooling at Sudarshan Vidya Mandir and later attended Vijaya High School in Jayanagar. He then spent his pre-university years at National College in Basavanagudi, laying the foundation for an academic path that would eventually take him to two of the world’s most prestigious technology institutions.
From IIT to MIT: The Academic FoundationChakravarthy pursued a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, graduating in 1989.
He subsequently moved to the United States and joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he pursued doctoral studies at the MIT Media Lab. He completed his Ph.D. in 1995.
The combination of engineering education at IIT and advanced research at MIT gave Chakravarthy a strong technical foundation before he moved into the business side of technology.
From McKinsey to the Technology IndustryFollowing his academic career, Chakravarthy began his professional journey at McKinsey & Company in 1995. He spent more than four years there, eventually serving as an Engagement Manager.
He then moved into the technology industry, taking on a series of increasingly senior roles.
At Logictier, he served as Vice President of Marketing before joining VeriSign in 2001 as Director of Product Management.
His most significant early corporate chapter came at Symantec, where he spent nearly a decade and held a succession of leadership positions. His responsibilities spanned business-critical services, enterprise services, enterprise product operations, storage and availability management, enterprise security and information security.
He also served as Vice President of India Technical Operations, where he headed Symantec’s India center.
This progression gave Chakravarthy experience across product management, operations, services, cybersecurity and international technology businesses — experience that would later become important as he moved into CEO-level leadership.
Becoming a CEO at InformaticaIn 2013, Chakravarthy joined Informatica as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer. Two years later, he became the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
As CEO from 2015 to 2020, he was responsible for defining the company’s strategy for its next phase of growth. During his tenure, Informatica introduced significant product releases, including Informatica v10 and Informatica Big Data Management.
His five-year tenure as CEO added another important dimension to his career: experience leading an enterprise technology company through a period of major transformation.
The Adobe ChapterChakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020. He currently serves as President of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business, based in San Jose.
At Adobe, his responsibilities have placed him at the intersection of enterprise software, digital customer experience and artificial intelligence.
Over the course of his Adobe career, he has been associated with the company’s Digital Experience business and its efforts to help enterprises use technology and AI to understand customers, create content and manage digital experiences at scale.
His corporate experience has also extended beyond his executive roles. He has served as an independent board member at organizations including FIS, Ansys and USAA Federal Savings Bank.
A Career Built Across Technology’s Major WavesWhat makes Chakravarthy’s career particularly notable is the breadth of technology cycles he has experienced firsthand.
He began his professional life in management consulting in the 1990s, moved into internet infrastructure and product management at the turn of the millennium, spent years in enterprise technology and cybersecurity, led a major enterprise software company as CEO, and then moved to Adobe as businesses increasingly shifted toward cloud-based software and AI.
His career therefore mirrors the evolution of enterprise technology itself — from traditional software and infrastructure to cybersecurity, cloud data, SaaS, digital experience and now generative and agentic AI.
Taking the Adobe HelmChakravarthy will take over as Adobe’s President and CEO at a particularly consequential moment for the company and the broader software industry.
Generative AI is reshaping how creative, marketing and enterprise software is developed and used, while the next phase of AI is increasingly focused on systems capable of carrying out tasks and workflows with greater autonomy.
Chakravarthy’s combination of technical education, product experience, cybersecurity expertise, CEO experience and long-term enterprise technology leadership positions him to guide Adobe through this transition.
Following the announcement of his appointment, Chakravarthy shared his excitement about the road ahead while acknowledging the people who have shaped Adobe’s current leadership.
“Honored and incredibly excited for what's ahead at Adobe. Our customers, employees (best in the world!) and AI innovation are top of mind, as always.”
He also expressed his gratitude to Narayen and Adobe’s board for their confidence in him, adding a confident note about the company’s future:
“Adobe’s best days are ahead!”
From Bengaluru to Silicon ValleyChakravarthy’s story is ultimately more than a succession announcement at one of the world’s biggest software companies.
It is a career journey that began with schooling in South Bengaluru, progressed through IIT and MIT, and then moved through consulting, product management, cybersecurity, enterprise software and CEO leadership before arriving at Adobe.
On December 1, 2026, that journey will reach its most prominent milestone yet, when Anil Chakravarthy takes over from Shantanu Narayen as Adobe’s President and CEO.
For Chakravarthy, the appointment marks the latest chapter in a career that has taken him from classrooms in South Bengaluru to some of the most influential technology companies in the world. His journey combines a strong academic foundation at IIT and MIT with three decades of experience spanning management consulting, cybersecurity, enterprise software, cloud data management and, most recently, Adobe’s digital experience business.
The Bengaluru Roots: Where the Journey BeganLong before he reached the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, Chakravarthy’s journey began in Bengaluru.
He completed his early schooling at Sudarshan Vidya Mandir and later attended Vijaya High School in Jayanagar. He then spent his pre-university years at National College in Basavanagudi, laying the foundation for an academic path that would eventually take him to two of the world’s most prestigious technology institutions.
From IIT to MIT: The Academic FoundationChakravarthy pursued a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, graduating in 1989.
He subsequently moved to the United States and joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he pursued doctoral studies at the MIT Media Lab. He completed his Ph.D. in 1995.
The combination of engineering education at IIT and advanced research at MIT gave Chakravarthy a strong technical foundation before he moved into the business side of technology.
From McKinsey to the Technology IndustryFollowing his academic career, Chakravarthy began his professional journey at McKinsey & Company in 1995. He spent more than four years there, eventually serving as an Engagement Manager.
He then moved into the technology industry, taking on a series of increasingly senior roles.
At Logictier, he served as Vice President of Marketing before joining VeriSign in 2001 as Director of Product Management.
His most significant early corporate chapter came at Symantec, where he spent nearly a decade and held a succession of leadership positions. His responsibilities spanned business-critical services, enterprise services, enterprise product operations, storage and availability management, enterprise security and information security.
He also served as Vice President of India Technical Operations, where he headed Symantec’s India center.
This progression gave Chakravarthy experience across product management, operations, services, cybersecurity and international technology businesses — experience that would later become important as he moved into CEO-level leadership.
Becoming a CEO at InformaticaIn 2013, Chakravarthy joined Informatica as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer. Two years later, he became the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
As CEO from 2015 to 2020, he was responsible for defining the company’s strategy for its next phase of growth. During his tenure, Informatica introduced significant product releases, including Informatica v10 and Informatica Big Data Management.
His five-year tenure as CEO added another important dimension to his career: experience leading an enterprise technology company through a period of major transformation.
The Adobe ChapterChakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020. He currently serves as President of Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business, based in San Jose.
At Adobe, his responsibilities have placed him at the intersection of enterprise software, digital customer experience and artificial intelligence.
Over the course of his Adobe career, he has been associated with the company’s Digital Experience business and its efforts to help enterprises use technology and AI to understand customers, create content and manage digital experiences at scale.
His corporate experience has also extended beyond his executive roles. He has served as an independent board member at organizations including FIS, Ansys and USAA Federal Savings Bank.
A Career Built Across Technology’s Major WavesWhat makes Chakravarthy’s career particularly notable is the breadth of technology cycles he has experienced firsthand.
He began his professional life in management consulting in the 1990s, moved into internet infrastructure and product management at the turn of the millennium, spent years in enterprise technology and cybersecurity, led a major enterprise software company as CEO, and then moved to Adobe as businesses increasingly shifted toward cloud-based software and AI.
His career therefore mirrors the evolution of enterprise technology itself — from traditional software and infrastructure to cybersecurity, cloud data, SaaS, digital experience and now generative and agentic AI.
Taking the Adobe HelmChakravarthy will take over as Adobe’s President and CEO at a particularly consequential moment for the company and the broader software industry.
Generative AI is reshaping how creative, marketing and enterprise software is developed and used, while the next phase of AI is increasingly focused on systems capable of carrying out tasks and workflows with greater autonomy.
Chakravarthy’s combination of technical education, product experience, cybersecurity expertise, CEO experience and long-term enterprise technology leadership positions him to guide Adobe through this transition.
Following the announcement of his appointment, Chakravarthy shared his excitement about the road ahead while acknowledging the people who have shaped Adobe’s current leadership.
“Honored and incredibly excited for what's ahead at Adobe. Our customers, employees (best in the world!) and AI innovation are top of mind, as always.”
He also expressed his gratitude to Narayen and Adobe’s board for their confidence in him, adding a confident note about the company’s future:
“Adobe’s best days are ahead!”
From Bengaluru to Silicon ValleyChakravarthy’s story is ultimately more than a succession announcement at one of the world’s biggest software companies.
It is a career journey that began with schooling in South Bengaluru, progressed through IIT and MIT, and then moved through consulting, product management, cybersecurity, enterprise software and CEO leadership before arriving at Adobe.
On December 1, 2026, that journey will reach its most prominent milestone yet, when Anil Chakravarthy takes over from Shantanu Narayen as Adobe’s President and CEO.
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