Introducing the first Adobe International Advisory Board
A team of highly respected industry leaders will join Adobe in its commitment to helping our customers adapt to a new era in digital experiences.
As business leaders, it’s our responsibility to constantly evolve and help drive our organisations forward, especially during transformational periods.
Adobe has always been dedicated to helping our international customers take on new challenges, not just by providing the technologies they need to transform their businesses, but also by offering them guidance and insight to support them on their journey.
It is therefore my pleasure to introduce the appointment of the first Adobe International Advisory Board, a team of highly respected industry leaders that will join us in our commitment to helping our customers adapt to a new era in digital experiences, and partner with Adobe’s own leadership team to address the changes affecting each of the sectors and markets we serve.
Each of our six Advisory Board members brings with them a wealth of leadership experience developed at the highest levels of business, government, and policy. I am therefore honoured to serve as the Chair of the Adobe International Advisory Board alongside this exceptional group.
Please join me in welcoming:
- Barbara Kux is a multiple Board Director with a longstanding international board and executive experience in consumer goods and industrial companies, who started her career as a Management Consultant for Mc Kinsey. She is a Member of the Supervisory Board at Henkel and Grosvenor Group as well as Vice-chair of the Board at Firmenich, a leading fragrance and flavor company. From 2008 until 2013, Ms. Kux was a Member of the Managing Board of Siemens, as the first woman in the 160-year history of the company. She has a strong history of leading Sustainability and Corporate Governance and as Member of the Managing Board at Siemens where the business was named ‘world’s most sustainable industrial company’ in 2012.
- Baudouin Prot has more than 40 years’ experience in global banking and was the former CEO and Chairman of the Board at BNP Paribas. He is a Board member of French luxury group Kering, leading Fintech software provider Finastra and Alstom, a multinational rail mobility company. Mr. Prot is also currently Senior Advisor to Boston Consulting Group.
- Dr. Dieter Zetsche is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TUI AG and was a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG since December 1998 and Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG from 2006 to 2019. During this time, he was also Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. He has held leadership positions at Daimler in Brazil and Argentina and was President of Freightliner Corporation, Head of Commercial Vehicles and CEO of the Chrysler Group.
- Professor Heizo Takenaka is a world-renowned economist. He joined Prime Minister Koizumi’s Government in 2001, serving through to 2006. During this time, Dr Takenaka became Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy, followed by Minister of Financial Services. He also served as Minister of the Postal Services’ Privatisation and Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication. Dr Takenaka was named a member of the Economic Strategy Board in 1998 and the IT Strategy Board in 2000. He is currently a professor at Keio University. Dr Takenaka also holds several advisory board and committee roles, including Director of the Global Security Research Institute and Chairman of Pasona Group, Inc.
- Nigel Hinshelwood is the former Head of HSBC UK and Deputy CEO of HSBC Bank plc. He held a number of executive appointments within the HSBC Group including Head of HSBC Insurance Holdings, COO of EMEA and Global Head of Operations. Mr. Hinshelwood is currently Senior Independent Director of Lloyds Bank Plc and Bank of Scotland Plc, Non-Executive Director of Nordea Bank and Chairman of its Risk Committee. He is also a member of Lloyd’s of London Technology and Transformation Committee.
- Patrick Allaway is Chairman of the Bank of Queensland and a Non-Executive Director of Dexus Funds Management Ltd and Allianz Australia. He has extensive experience in corporate advisory roles and has also held Executive and Non-Executive roles for Citibank and Swiss Bank Corporation (now UBS). Mr. Allaway is the former Executive Chairman of Saltbush Capital Markets.
The Adobe International Advisory Board is more than just a collection of exceptional minds. It is a platform where experienced leaders will provide unique insights into our customers’ needs and help shape our solutions towards superior digital experiences. Moreover, each of our board members has cut their teeth in economies at the forefront of digital adoption, developing an unmatched perspective on what it takes to succeed along the way.
Digital transformation is certainly a global phenomenon. That said, every industry is evolving at a different pace and the imperative to adapt takes different forms in different countries, which means there is no single approach to tackling the challenges of today.
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, no business or industry has gone unaffected. Leaders everywhere are rethinking the way they work, sell, and serve their customers, and the one constant across geographies is the need to act quickly and strategically. At Adobe, we know we play a major role in helping our customers to evolve and take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.
This has arguably been the most turbulent 12-month period in the modern business era, but now it’s time to apply the lessons learned from the past year and transform for what’s next. With the launch of the Adobe International Advisory Board, we are locked in and ready to deliver, no matter what the future holds.