Anil Chakravarthy has been named chief executive of Adobe, the company announced, as the software giant navigates a major transition toward artificial intelligence. Chakravarthy, who has led Adobe’s customer experience arm for the past six years, has also overseen the development of several of the company’s AI products.

His appointment comes at a critical time for Adobe, which is facing increased competition from AI-powered design tools and shifting customer expectations. The company has been integrating AI features across its flagship products, including Photoshop and Premiere, to maintain its market leadership.

Chakravarthy’s background in both enterprise software and AI development positions him to steer Adobe through this transformation. He succeeds the previous CEO, who will remain as chairman to support the transition.

Analysts view the move as a strategic bet on AI-driven growth, with Adobe aiming to capitalize on its existing customer base while expanding into new AI-centric offerings. The leadership change is effective immediately.