CurrentCurrent · in office since 2007
Rank #22 in Database

Shantanu Narayen

Chair & CEO of Adobe Inc. (2007–Present)

NASDAQ: ADBE•Software•United States
Shantanu Narayen executive portrait
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Answer & Tenure Summary

Shantanu Narayen has served as Chair & CEO of Adobe Inc. for 18 years 11 months (6,922 days), holding office continuously since Dec 1, 2007. At present, Shantanu Narayen ranks as the #22 longest-serving chief executive among tracked leaders in the database.

In Office
18 years 11 months
6,922 days
Start Date
Dec 1, 2007
Appointed 2007
Current Status
Present (Active)
Active executive
Age at Appointment
44 years old
Born May 27, 1963

Executive Succession & Corporate Facts

Predecessor
Not recorded
Successor
Active (Currently serving in office)
Database Tenure Rank
#22 Longest-Serving CEO in Database (View Full Rankings →)
Company Founded
Dec 1, 1982 (San Jose, California)
Known Aliases
None recorded

Tenure Milestones & Transition Timeline

Nov 12, 2007Source ↗

Shantanu Narayen Named Next CEO of Adobe Effective December 1

Adobe's Board elected President and COO Shantanu Narayen to succeed Bruce Chizen as Chief Executive Officer.

Dec 1, 2007Source ↗

Shantanu Narayen Officially Takes Office as Adobe CEO

Narayen assumed executive leadership, initiating long-term investments in digital media creation and enterprise marketing analytics.

May 11, 2012Source ↗

Adobe Launches Creative Cloud in Shift from Perpetual Licenses to SaaS

Narayen executed one of tech's most daring business model pivots, phasing out boxed software licenses in favor of monthly cloud subscriptions.

Sep 20, 2018Source ↗

Adobe Announces Agreement to Acquire Marketo for $4.75 Billion

Narayen expanded Adobe Experience Cloud by acquiring B2B marketing automation leader Marketo from Vista Equity Partners.

Dec 18, 2023Source ↗

Adobe and Figma Mutually Terminate $20 Billion Merger Agreement

Narayen announced termination of the Figma acquisition after antitrust regulators in the UK and European Union signaled block orders.

Related Leaders & Rankings

Same Company
Adobe Inc. Corporate Profile

Primary verified disclosure and leadership profile.

Global Benchmark

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