Deel vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
Deel
Alex Bouaziz
Alex Bouaziz is Deel's co-founder and CEO. He started Deel in 2019 with Shuo Wang after experiencing first-hand how hard it was to hire and pay people across borders, took it through Y Combinator, and has led it from contractor payments to a full global HR and…
Shuo Wang
Shuo Wang is Deel's co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer. She leads Deel's go-to-market organization and has overseen its sales growth from early contractor-payment customers to more than 40,000 businesses worldwide.
Workday
Dave Duffield
Dave Duffield founded PeopleSoft, which grew into a major HR and ERP software vendor before Oracle acquired it through a hostile takeover completed in early 2005.
Aneel Bhusri
Aneel Bhusri co-founded Workday in 2005. He was co-CEO with Dave Duffield, then sole CEO from 2014, and later shared the CEO role before handing it to Carl Eschenbach in February 2024 and becoming executive chair.
CEOs and their tenures
Deel
- Alex Bouaziz2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded Deel in 2019 and has led it from a YC contractor-payments startup to $1.5B+ ARR and a $17.3B valuation.
Source - Shuo Wang2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer
Built and leads Deel's sales and revenue organization.
Source - Philippe Bouaziz2019–present
Executive Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer
Founding CFO who moved to executive chairman and chief strategy officer in November 2025; named as a defendant in Rippling's lawsuit.
Source - Joe Kauffman2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former Intuit executive appointed CFO in November 2025 as Deel prepares for a potential IPO.
Source
Workday
- Carl Eschenbach2022–2026
Former CEO
Joined as co-CEO in December 2022, became sole CEO in February 2024, and stepped down in February 2026; now a strategic advisor to the CEO.
Source - Zane Rowe2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
Leads finance and issued the fiscal 2027 subscription revenue and margin guidance.
Source - Aneel Bhusri2026–present
Co-founder, CEO, and Chair
Co-founded Workday in 2005, led it as co-CEO and CEO until 2024, and returned as CEO in February 2026.
Source
Timeline: Deel and Workday side by side
2005Workday
Workday Founded
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri found Workday after Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.
2012Workday
IPO
Workday lists on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012; it later moves its listing to Nasdaq.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
2020Deel
Series A and B
$14M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (May) and $30M Series B led by Spark Capital (September) as remote hiring took off.
2021Deel
$1.25B Series C, then $5.5B Series D
$156M Series C in April; $425M Series D led by Coatue in October.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2025Deel
Rippling lawsuit; $1B ARR; $17.3B Series E
Rippling sued in March; Safeguard Global payroll deal in March; $1B ARR in June; $300M Series E in October; Joe Kauffman named CFO in November.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026Deel
DOJ probe reported; $1.5B ARR; Clarity acquired
WSJ reported a DOJ criminal probe in January; Deel passed $1.5B ARR in H1 and bought Clarity in August.
2026Workday
Aneel Bhusri Returns as CEO
Workday announces on February 9, 2026 that Bhusri is returning as CEO and Eschenbach is stepping down.
2026Workday
Fiscal 2026 Revenue of $9.552B
Workday reports fiscal 2026 revenue of $9.552B, up 13.1%, and GAAP net income of $693M.
2026Workday
Q2 Fiscal 2027 Results
Workday reports Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue of $2.649B and says AI drove more than 25% of new ACV.
Acquisitions
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about Deel vs Workday
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and Workday, Inc.?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz and Workday, Inc. is led by Aneel Bhusri. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Deel, Inc. founded vs Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 14 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. Workday, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Deel, Inc..
How many employees does Deel, Inc. have compared to Workday, Inc.?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. Workday, Inc. has the larger workforce at 21,070 employees, compared to Deel, Inc.'s 9,600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Deel, Inc. and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
Both Deel, Inc. and Workday, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Deel, Inc. and Workday, Inc.?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Deel, Inc. has been in operation for around 7 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Deel vs Workday overview