Adobe announced that Dr. Charles “Chuck” M. Geschke has notified the company of his decision to not stand for re-election to the Adobe board of directors at the company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on April 9, 2020. Dr. Geschke’s retirement will be effective immediately following the Annual Meeting. Dr. Geschke will become a director emeritus and continue to participate in board activities.

“Chuck Geschke’s vision, passion and relentless focus on innovation were instrumental in helping Adobe grow from a small startup to the global software leader it is today”

Dr. Geschke co-founded Adobe in 1982 with Dr. John Warnock, a colleague from Xerox. Their first product was Adobe PostScript, pivotal technology that sparked the desktop publishing revolution. Over their next 40 years at Adobe, they shaped technologies that have fundamentally changed how people create and communicate around the world. They instilled in Adobe a relentless drive for innovation, resulting in some of the most transformative software inventions, including the ubiquitous PDF Format, Acrobat, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Photoshop. As much as they were technology innovators, they were also pioneers in creating a progressive and inclusive workplace culture at Adobe.

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Dr. Geschke was chief operating officer of Adobe from December 1986 to July 1994 and president from April 1989 until his retirement in April 2000. He served as chairman of the board with Dr. Warnock from September 1997 to January 2017. In recognition of their technical achievements, Dr. Geschke and Dr. Warnock were awarded the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation; the Computer Entrepreneur Award from the IEEE Computer Society; and the American Electronics Association Medal of Honor.

“When Chuck and I started Adobe, we wanted to create a place where we would want to work,” said John Warnock, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Adobe. “We wanted to develop innovative software and create a culture that empowered employees to be their best. We could never have imagined that Adobe would become what it is today—one of the world’s leading software companies.”

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“Chuck Geschke’s vision, passion and relentless focus on innovation were instrumental in helping Adobe grow from a small startup to the global software leader it is today,” said Shantanu Narayen, Adobe president and CEO. “I feel privileged to have worked alongside Chuck for over 20 years, and am deeply appreciative of his leadership, mentorship and friendship during that time. His presence and legacy will always be felt at Adobe. On behalf of the more than 23,000 Adobe employees worldwide, I want to thank Chuck for all he has done for this company as he transitions to an emeritus board member.”

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