Shantanu Narayen to step down as CEO of Adobe after successor appointed.

Exam-focused facts from the 17 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Shantanu Narayen has served as CEO of Adobe since 1 December 2007 and will remain chair of the board after stepping down.
Adobe announced on 12 March 2026 that Narayen will continue as CEO until a successor is named by the board.
The board has formed a special committee chaired by lead independent director Frank Calderoni to conduct the CEO search.
Narayen joined Adobe in 1998, became president and COO in 2005, and led the company’s shift from software licences to Creative Cloud subscriptions.
Adobe shares fell about 6% in extended trading after the leadership transition announcement despite Q1 FY2026 earnings of $6.06 per share and revenue of $6.40 billion.
Narayen was born in Hyderabad, India on 27 May 1963 and holds a master’s in computer science from Bowling Green State University and an MBA from UC Berkeley.
His total compensation for fiscal 2025 was about $51 million and he also serves as lead independent director at Pfizer.