Adobe appointed Chizen CEO in 2000, who joined the company in 1994. During this period as a senior executive, the company acquired Macromedia in 2005, making Adobe a leader in design and development tools for creating applications. Rich Internet (RIA). The company has also managed to raise its profile in the industry, being targeted by larger software producers such as Microsoft due to its operations to provide the necessary infrastructure for the new generation of web-based applications.
In a press release, the Adobe board of directors thanked Bruce Chizen for his “vision” in transforming the company from being known primarily for its design tools to “one of the largest and most diversified software companies in the world. “. The board has indicated that Chizen’s successor, Narayen, who was already in command of global day-to-day operations, long-term market strategies and global research and development, among other core business functions, will ensure a smooth transition.
Shantanu Narayen joined Adobe in January 1998 as vice president and general manager of the company’s technology and engineering group, progressively promoted to key positions in the company. In January 1999 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Product, and in March 2001 he was named Executive Vice President of Worldwide Product Development and Marketing. Narayen took up his current role in January 2005, in time to contribute to the Macromedia acquisition towards the end of that year.
At first glance, it appears that Chizen’s departure from office has been a planned transition, a natural handover of the witness by one executive who has accomplished his goal to another who has earned his promotion. In fact, it does not appear that there is any kind of financial condition that has caused the board of directors to force such a change, since Adobe has obtained good financial results.
However, there have been some indications in more recent public appearances that Chizen was leaving his post. Speaking at the keynote on the second day of the Adobe MAX conference held last month in Chicago, USA, he made some comments about the fact that being a CEO is not all that he would have liked to be. Chizen defined the deal with the financial community as “going to the dentist without novocaine”, stating that his life as CEO is somewhat “strange” because “everyone knows how much money I make and everyone thinks it is too much.”
Chizen has indicated that the resignation of his position is because “I am at a point in my life where I want to take a step back and think about what I want to do with the rest of my life.” He has also stated that handing over leadership to Narayen has been one of the “[decisiones] hardest I’ve ever taken. “
Chizen has also praised Narayen for his “exceptional operational leadership” and has shown his confidence that Adobe will continue to prosper under his new leadership.
