Andrew Anagnost

Autodesk's tools — AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Fusion, 3ds Max, Maya, and others — are the global standard for professionals in architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), product design and manufacturing, and media and entertainment. Anagnost's most significant accomplishment was completing Autodesk's subscription transition, which transformed the company from a cyclical software vendor with lumpy perpetual license revenue into a predictable, high-margin SaaS business with over $6 billion in recurring annual revenue. He also navigated an activist investor campaign that pushed for greater profitability and free cash flow improvement. His key decisions involve AI integration across Autodesk's product suite (generative design, AI-assisted drafting), construction technology expansion (Autodesk Construction Cloud), pricing and packaging strategy for the subscription portfolio, and platform ecosystem development. Autodesk faces a unique challenge in managing AI disruption — generative AI could potentially displace some design workflows while also creating new capabilities for Autodesk's tools.