I am honored to lead this amazing company and to serve as your CEO. For 20 years, I’ve watched Autodesk innovate and grow into the company it is today and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. But our success isn’t based on a single product, business strategy, or sales win—it’s a result of the collective efforts of all of you, our diverse and global team.  With your passion, ideas, and skills, we are ready to grow in incredible new ways.

Autodesk’s history has been defined by periods of both product innovation and business execution. We began with a clear goal to transform how design was documented, brought 3D design to the broader market, and then became a respected technology leader. We were first to bring design to the cloud, to mobile, and to subscription—and now we’re bringing innovation to the world of making.

The next era of Autodesk is not defined by product or business innovation—but in their combination.  We must excel at both, all in the service of our customers. To ensure their success, and ours, we will improve not only our product experience, but also our customer experience.  And we will continue to deliver incredible tools that customers can use to make a better world.

As excited as I am about this change, today’s news is bittersweet. Regretfully, Amar Hanspal has decided to leave the company. As many of you know, Amar and I have shared countless experiences and tackled great challenges together; I’m truly sad to see him leave. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation for his 30 years of service and all that he’s done to make Autodesk, our team, and our products great. With Amar’s departure and my new role, I’ve asked Scott Reese to be the acting leader of the Product Development Group and Lisa Campbell to be the acting leader of Business Strategy & Marketing. I recognize that it’s very difficult to say goodbye to a leader we have valued and respected for many years. I understand that, and I look forward to working closely with you and Autodesk leadership on a smooth transition.

Every day I think about how fortunate I am to work at Autodesk, and for our customers. I’m excited to get out and visit you, our customers, partners and investors over the next several months. I love this company and I know our best years are ahead of us. I look forward to working with you to help our customers make anything.

Andrew

President and Chief Executive Officer
Autodesk, Inc.