Who is Shantanu Narayen? Satya Nadella’s special message for Indian-origin CEO set to quit Adobe after 18 years

Adobe Inc. Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen is set to step down from his position after 18 years amid scepticism about the company’s ability to sustain in the AI era. Narayen, in a note to employees, announced that he will remain in the position until his successor is identified. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a special post following the announcement, expressing his appreciation for Narayen’s “friendship and mentorship”.Satya Nadella talked about “friendship and mentorship” in his tweet for Shantanu Narayen. (X/@satyanadella, Forbes Website)What did Satya Nadella tweet?“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere. What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry,” Nadella posted.Shantanu Narayen: Early life and careerHe was born in Hyderabad, India and relocated to the US to pursue a master’s degree at Bowling Green State University.Also Read: Who is Rahul Bhatia, what is his net worth? All about IndiGo’s interim boss after CEO Pieter Elbers’ exitHe joined Adobe in 1998 as vice president and general manager of its engineering technology group. He became president and COO in 2005 and has been serving as the company’s CEO since 2007. In 2017, he was named the chairman of the board.Prior to joining Adobe, Shantanu held product development roles at Apple and Silicon Graphics and cofounded an early photo-sharing startup, Pictra.According to Adobe’s website, he holds five patents. He has a “bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Osmania University, a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in business adminration from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business”.What is Shantanu Narayen’s net worth?According to the 2025 Hurun Rich L, his net worth is estimated at ₹4,670 crore.Shantanu Narayen’s family:Narayen is married to Reni Narayen, a clinical psycholog, whom he met during his student days. The couple who live in Palo Alto, California, has two sons.Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen’s full statement to employees:“I want to share with all of you that I have informed the Board of my decision to transition from my role as CEO of Adobe after over 18 years in the job (and the earnings call that I am about to conduct will be my 100th at the greatest company on the planet). Over the coming months, I will be working with Frank Calderoni, our lead Director, and the Board of Directors to identify my successor and to ensure a smooth transition. I will stay on as Chair of the Board to support the next CEO just as John and Chuck did when I took on this role,” Shantanu Narayen said in a statement.Recalling his journey, the Indian-origin CEO added, “This is not a goode any means but a time for reflection. What attracted me to Adobe 28 years ago was our leadership in creating new market categories, world-class products, a relentless desire to innovate in every functional area of the company and the people I met during the interview process. We have continued to create new markets, deliver world-class products, drive innovation in everything we do and attract and retain the best and brightest employees. Over this time, we grew from ~3K employees to >30K employees, delivered technology that touched billions of people as customers of our products or the digital experiences that our customers create, leading to our revenue growing from <$1B to >$25B. I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.”In his statement, he talked about the era of AI: “The next era of creativity is being written right now — shaped AI, new workflows and entirely new forms of expression. Adobe has never waited for the future to arrive. We’ve anticipated it. We’ve built it. And we’ve led it. What gives me the greatest confidence isn’t just our technology — it’s our people. Your ingenuity, resilience and commitment to customers are what will define this moment.”Also Read: Google offers Sundar Pichai pay package worth up to $692 million: All you need to knowHe continued, “I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honor of my career. I will ensure that I set up Adobe for its next decade of greatness with the right leader and executive team, in partnership with the Board, while continuing to deliver on our FY26 Must Wins.”The CEO added, “The opportunity in front of us is extraordinary. Together, we are uniquely positioned to lead it — and I remain deeply committed to doing so as we look ahead and prepare to name Adobe’s next CEO. I am more confident than ever that Adobe’s best days are still to come.”