Adobe restructures after some long-time executives retire. SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc
(ADBE.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it was putting under one roof
businesses selling software for computers, phones and consumer
electronics to make them run on a single technology platform.
The announcement is part of a series of management
restructuring moves Adobe is making following the planned
retirement of two long-time executives, effective May 1. A
spokeswoman said no employee job losses would result.
The move represents the further consolidation of its 2005
Macromedia acquisition with the broader Adobe organization
while also recognizing the growing convergence of once-distinct
software and the need for it to run across a range of devices.
The merging of the different business units may appear on
its face to be simply an organizational restructuring, where
the Mobile and Devices Business Unit will be folded under
Adobe's Experience and Technology group.
But the changes also are part of Adobe's effort to create a
unified technical underpinning for software that serves
everyone from Japanese phone users to YouTube watchers.
Adobe said its mobile and devices business unit is joining
the experience and technology group led by Adobe Chief
Technology Officer Kevin Lynch, a former Macromedia executive.
Gary Kovacs, vice president of product management and
marketing for the mobile and devices unit, has been promoted to
vice president and general manager of the business unit and
will report to Lynch from May 1.
Kovacs takes over for Senior Vice President Al Ramadan, who
is leaving Adobe effective April 30, after nearly 10 years with
Adobe and, before that, Macromedia. Kovacs was previously vice
president of product marketing at Macromedia.
Separately, the company said 16-year Adobe and Macromedia
veteran David Mendels, senior vice president of its Business
Productivity Business Unit, would leave at the month's end. The
division is best known for its Adobe Acrobat document
management software.
Mendels will be replaced May 1 by Rob Tarkoff, senior vice
president of corporate development, who joined the company last
year from EMC Corp (EMC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and, before that, Documentum.
Paul Weiskopf, Adobe's vice president of strategy, mergers
and acquisitions and investments, will succeed Tarkoff.
Weiskopf joined Adobe in 2005, where he worked with senior
management on long-term investment strategies and played a key
role in the acquisitions of Macromedia, Scene 7 and Virtual
Ubiquity. Previously he was a corporate strategist at
Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research).
Shares of Adobe closed 5 cents lower at $36.92 in regular
session trading on Nasdaq ahead of the news. Following the
announcement, the shares traded up 21 cents at $37.14.
(Editing by Braden Reddall)
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