Adobe Co-Founder Dr. Geschke Passes at 81
April 17 2021 - 01:38AM
Business Wire
It is with profound sadness that Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) shares the
passing of the company’s beloved co-founder, Dr. Charles Geschke.
Dr. Geschke passed away on Friday, surrounded by his family.
Dr. Geschke co-founded Adobe in 1982 with Dr. John Warnock, a
colleague from Xerox. Their first product was Adobe PostScript, a
pivotal technology that sparked the desktop publishing revolution.
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 and a member of the board until
April 2020, when he transitioned to become emeritus board member.
In recognition of his technical achievements, Dr. Geschke was
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.
Dr. Warnock, Adobe co-founder, former CEO and Chairman of the
Board, shared the following: “I could never have imagined having a
better, more likable, or more capable business partner. Not having
Chuck in our lives will leave a huge hole and those who knew him
will all agree.”
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen sent the following email to all Adobe
employees:
It is with profound sadness that I share that
our beloved co-founder Dr. Chuck Geschke, has passed away at the
age of 81, leaving an indelible mark on our company and the
world.
This is a huge loss for the entire Adobe
community and the technology industry, for whom he has been a guide
and hero for decades.
As co-founders of Adobe, Chuck and John
Warnock developed groundbreaking software that has revolutionized
how people create and communicate. Their first product was Adobe
PostScript, an innovative technology that provided a radical new
way to print text and images on paper and sparked the desktop
publishing revolution. Chuck instilled a relentless drive for
innovation in the company, resulting in some of the most
transformative software inventions, including the ubiquitous PDF,
Acrobat, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Photoshop.
In recognition of his technical achievements,
Chuck was 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.
After 18 years sharing the helm of Adobe, Chuck retired in 2000 and
continued to serve on the Board of Directors until last year, when
he transitioned to become emeritus board member.
As much as his inventions changed the world,
it is his focus on people, purpose and culture that has profoundly
impacted each of us at Adobe. As he always said, Chuck wanted to
create a company where he would want to work. He believed that good
ideas come from everywhere in the company and that it’s not only
what we do but how we do it that matters most. He dedicated much of
his time and talent to various philanthropies and community
organizations throughout his lifetime.
I spoke to John earlier today and he had this
to share about their five-decade partnership: “In 1982, Chuck and I
agreed that we should leave Xerox and start our own company. That
was the beginning of Adobe. I could never have imagined having a
better, more likable, or more capable business partner. Not having
Chuck in our lives will leave a huge hole and those who knew him
will all agree.”
I admired his brilliance, kindness and values
that defined his character and am grateful that I had the privilege
to know and work with him. His absence will certainly leave a huge
hole in my heart.
As I grieve the loss of my long-time role
model, mentor and friend, I am comforted knowing that Adobe’s best
days are ahead – exactly as Chuck would want them to be.
Shantanu
-----------
Dr. Geschke is survived by his wife Nancy (“Nan”) Geschke and
his three children.
For Dr. Geschke’s biography visit:
https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/cc/en/leaders/pdfs/geschke.pdf
About Adobe
Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For
more information, visit www.adobe.com.
© 2021 Adobe. All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe in the United
States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210416005603/en/
Public relations contact Ashley Levine Adobe 408-666-5888
aslevine@adobe.com
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024