The move is effective immediately and comes following the February 2017 resignation of the company's former president and chief, Carl Bass. Anagnost will also join Autodesk's board of directors.
Says Anagnost: "This is an exciting time for Autodesk, and I am thrilled to be taking on the chief executive role. 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."
Adds Autodesk board chairman Crawford W. Beveridge: "The board and I are delighted that Andrew will lead Autodesk into its next stage of growth. 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."
Autodesk also announced that Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, chief product officer and interim co-chief executive, has decided to leave the company.
Anagnost adds: "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."
