Prince of PDFs, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, to step down after 18 years

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has announced he intends to depart the company after 18 years as the prince of PDFs.

Narayen didn’t say why he’s moving on, but on the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call said he notified Adobe’s board of his decision some time ago. Adobe’s announcement of the CEO’s departure also offers no rationale.

The closest thing The Register could find to a rationale came on the company’s earnings call, during which Narayen said “As a company that has prided itself on creating categories, our AI transformation begins with a focus on customer-centric product strategy to anticipate and fulfill the diverse needs of a large and growing customer base.”

Maybe Narayen felt he doesn’t have another big transition in him, after he led Adobe’s swing to become a SaaS company? It’s also worth noting he’s not likely ...