Bruce R. Chizen | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1955-09-05)September 5, 1955 (age 70) |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College (part of theCity University of New York) |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Former CEO ofAdobe Inc. (2000–2007) |
| Board member of | |
Bruce R. Chizen (born September 5, 1955[1]) is an American technology executive. He was thechief executive officer (CEO) ofAdobe Systems from 2000 to 2007.[2] A senior advisor at Permira,[3] he is chairman ofMcAfee's board of directors.[4]
Bruce R. Chizen was born September 5, 1955.[1] He grew up inBrooklyn, New York. His father owned a retail radio TV appliance store, and Chizen would work there on Saturdays.[5] Majoring in health science,[6] Chizen earned a B.S. fromBrooklyn College (City University of New York)[7] in 1978.
From 1980 to 1983, he worked inMattel Electronics' merchandising group, helping it grow into a US$500 million business.[8]
In 1983, Chizen joinedMicrosoft as the company's eastern region sales director.[8]
He also worked atClaris Corporation.[7] In 1987, he joined Claris as a founding senior manager and later held positions as vice president of sales and of worldwide marketing before becoming vice president and general manager ofClaris Clear Choice.
In 1994Aldus Corporation hired Chizen to run its consumer division in San Diego (what was formerlySilicon Beach Software). Later that year, Aldus was acquired by Adobe Systems and Chizen became vice president and general manager of consumer products.[9]
He joined Adobe in 1994.[10] He was named CEO of Adobe in 2000,[5] working out ofSan Jose, California.[11] He was also president from 2000 to 2005, and acting CFO from 2006 to 2007.[10] He held the CEO role until 2007.[10] Notably, as CEO he oversaw the acquisition ofMacromedia[12] in 2005 for $3.4 billion in stock.[5] In an interview, Chizen stated that the primary reason for acquiring Macromedia was to getFlash.[11]
During his 14 years at the company, Chizen engaged in transforming Adobe from a developer of graphics and publishing software into a leading diverse supplier of design, media, and business tools.[13] On November 12, 2007, Adobe announced that Chizen would step down as CEO effective December 1, to be replaced byShantanu Narayen, president and chief operating officer. Chizen continued on the board until the spring of 2008, also acting as an advisor until November 28, 2008.[2]
In 2005, he was a board member atSynopsys, and president of the board of directors for theChildren's Discovery Museum of San Jose.[5] Chizen in 2008 sat on several nonprofit boards, including theSilicon Valley Education Foundation, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose and 1st Act Silicon Valley.[6]
Chizen became a senior advisor for private-equity firmPermira in 2008,[10] working out of the firm's office inMenlo Park, California.[14] Chizen became a venture partner with Voyager Capital from 2009,[15] to 2023, when he became a strategic adviser.[10] He is on the board ofInformatica, joining in August 2015 and becoming executive chairman in August 2016.[16]
He became an operating partner at Permira Growth Opportunities in June 2018.[10] He is also on the board atOracle Corporation,[10]Synopsys,[5] and joined the FullStory board in 2021.[17] In 2021, he joined Nexthink's board of directors, remaining senior advisor at Permira.[3] He invested in the Seattle startupUplevel in 2022.[18] In July 2024, he was chairman ofMcAfee,[4] after being appointed to the role in March 2022. Permira had acquired McAfee as part of an investor group in November 2021.[19] He was still on the Delicato board as an independent director in 2024.[20] He is also on the boards ofElemental Technologies andNDS.
Chizen and his wife Gail[5] lived inLos Altos, in Santa Clara County,[21] California with their two children—a son and a daughter.[1][5]
