Gusto vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
Gusto was founded in 2011 by Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, Edward Kim and is led by Joshua Reeves. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
Gusto
Joshua Reeves
Josh Reeves co-founded ZenPayroll, now Gusto, in 2011 and has been CEO ever since. He led the 2015 rebrand and expansion into benefits, the 2021 Series E, the 2025 Guideline acquisition and the company's growth past $1 billion in revenue in early 2026.
Tomer London
Tomer London co-founded Gusto in 2011 and led product for much of its history, shaping the simple, owner-friendly payroll and benefits experience the company is known for.
Edward Kim
Edward Kim co-founded Gusto in 2011 and led its engineering and technology work, including the payroll and tax infrastructure behind the platform.
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
Gusto
- Joshua Reeves2011–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Has led Gusto since founding, through the 2015 rebrand, the 2021 Series E, the 2025 Guideline acquisition and the 2026 move past $1B in revenue.
Source - Tomer London2011–present
Co-Founder
Co-founder who led product development for Gusto's payroll and benefits platform.
Source - Edward Kim2011–present
Co-Founder
Co-founder and longtime technology leader who built early payroll and tax infrastructure.
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: Gusto and Workday side by side
2005Workday
Workday Founded
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri found Workday after Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.
2011Gusto
ZenPayroll Founded & Y Combinator (W12)
Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, and Edward Kim founded ZenPayroll in Palo Alto, joining Y Combinator.
2012Gusto
Public Launch & $6.1M Seed from Silicon Valley Royalty
Launched cloud payroll, raising $6.1M backed by the CEOs of Yelp, Dropbox, Yammer, and Box.
2012Workday
IPO
Workday lists on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012; it later moves its listing to Nasdaq.
2014Gusto
$60M Series B at $560M Valuation Led by Google Capital
Raised $60 million led by CapitalG, expanding automated payroll across all 50 US states.
2015Gusto
Rebrands to Gusto & Launches Health Benefits Brokerage
Rebranded from ZenPayroll to Gusto, launching health insurance brokerage and workers' comp.
2018Gusto
$140M Series C at $1.6B Valuation & Denver Campus Launch
Achieved unicorn status led by T. Rowe Price, opening a large regional operating campus in Denver.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2019Gusto
$200M Series D at $3.8B Valuation Led by Fidelity
Raised $200 million, crossing 100,000 small business customers across America.
2021Gusto
$175M Series E and First Acquisitions
Raised a $175M Series E at about $9.5B and acquired Ardius, Symmetry and RemoteTeam.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2025Gusto
Tender Offer at $9.3B and Guideline Deal
June tender offer led by Ontario Teachers'; August agreement to acquire Guideline.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026Gusto
Surpasses $1B in Revenue
Gusto said trailing twelve-month revenue passed $1B, with growth accelerating five straight quarters.
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
Gusto
- Guideline2025$600M
- Ardius2021Undisclosed
- Symmetry2021Undisclosed
- RemoteTeam2021Undisclosed
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about Gusto vs Workday
Who is the CEO of Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) and Workday, Inc.?
Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) is led by Joshua Reeves 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 Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) founded vs Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 6 years before Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.), which was founded in 2011. Workday, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.).
How many employees does Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) have compared to Workday, Inc.?
Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) employs approximately 3,200 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. Workday, Inc. has the larger workforce at 21,070 employees, compared to Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)'s 3,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
Both Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) and Workday, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) and Workday, Inc.?
Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) was founded by Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, Edward Kim. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) or Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) has been in operation for around 15 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 Gusto vs Workday overview