Autodesk, Inc. has announced that its board of directors has appointed Andrew Anagnost, current interim co-chief executive officer and chief marketing officer, as the company’s new president and CEO, effective immediately. He will also join Autodesk’s board of directors.
“The board and I are delighted that Andrew will lead Autodesk into its next stage of growth,” said Crawford W. Beveridge, chairman of the board of Autodesk. “Andrew has been instrumental in the development and execution of Autodesk’s successful business model transition, and with his leadership, we are confident that our move to the cloud and subscription will continue to be successful.”
Anagnost, who holds a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering and Computer Science from Stanford University, began his career at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company and as an NRC fellow at NASA Ames Research Center. After joining Autodesk in 1997, he held various technical and strategic roles.
He led engineering for Autodesk Inventor, the company’s 3D model-based product design and engineering tool, growing revenue five-fold during his tenure. As senior vice president of business strategy and marketing, he led the company’s successful transition to a subscription business model, and drove adoption of Autodesk’s cloud technologies.
“This is an exciting time for Autodesk, and I am thrilled to be taking on the CEO role,” said Anagnost. “Autodesk transformed the design industry by bringing CAD to the PC 35 years ago, and in the last 10 years became the clear technology leader. We were first to bring design to the cloud and mobile, and now we’re bringing construction and manufacturing to the cloud as well. I can’t wait to lead Autodesk into our next phase of growth, where we will combine business and product innovation to become an even more customer-focused company.”
Anagnost’s appointment follows the February 2017 resignation of the company’s former president and CEO, Carl Bass, and a comprehensive search process conducted by the board over the last four months.
“I have worked closely with Andrew over the past 20 years, and I know he will be a great leader for Autodesk,” said Bass, Autodesk board director. “His contributions and dedication to the company, our employees, and customers have been immeasurable. I look forward to working with him from my seat on the board and can’t wait to see where he takes Autodesk in the future.”
Autodesk also announced that Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, chief product officer and interim co-CEO, has decided to leave the company. Anagnost commented, “I want to thank Amar for his many important contributions to Autodesk’s culture and product line over his 30 years with the company. He is a great colleague and friend, and he will be missed.”
