Adobe Inc. has narrowed its CEO search to two internal candidates, David Wadhwani and Anil Chakravarthy, while also engaging Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. to source external candidates with AI product experience.
David Wadhwani leads the creative tools business unit that generated roughly three‑quarters of Adobe’s $17.7 billion revenue in the last fiscal year; he previously left Adobe in 2015, led AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco for $3.7 billion in 2017), and returned in 2021 after a stint at Greylock.
Anil Chakravarthy heads the marketing and analytics software business, which recorded $5.9 billion in sales for fiscal year 2025; he joined Adobe in 2020 after serving as CEO of Informatica Inc.
Shantanu Narayen announced in March that he will step down as CEO after a successor is appointed, remaining chairman of the board.
Adobe’s stock has fallen 59 % from its early‑2024 peak as the company faces competition from AI‑native tools while integrating artificial intelligence across its platform.
Microsoft Corp. Executive Vice President Charles Lamanna discussed the CEO role with Adobe but chose not to continue in the process.
