Lattice vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
Lattice was founded in 2015 by Jack Altman, Eric Koslow and is led by Sarah Franklin. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
Lattice
Jack Altman
Jack Altman is a highly visionary software entrepreneur and the profoundly influential CEO and co-founder fundamentally responsible for architecting the massive Lattice people management platform.
Eric Koslow
Eric Koslow is a brilliantly talented software engineer and the profoundly influential technical co-founder fundamentally responsible for programming the absolute structural bedrock of the massive Lattice software 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
Lattice
- Jack Altman2015–present
Co-Founder, CEO (2015-2023), Executive Chairman
Led Lattice from founding through its $3 billion Series F; stepped down as CEO at the end of 2023 and became a full-time venture investor in 2024.
Source - Eric Koslow2015–present
Co-Founder
Co-founded Lattice and led its early engineering after working with Altman at Teespring.
Source - Sarah Franklin2024–present
CEO
Spent about 15 years at Salesforce, where she created Trailhead and rose to President and Chief Marketing Officer.
Source - Sophie Hurcombe2026–present
Chief People and Operations Officer
Promoted from SVP, People in June 2026 to lead Lattice's internal AI transformation.
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: Lattice 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.
2015Lattice
Jack Altman and Eric Koslow found Lattice in San Francisco; the company joins Y Combinator's Winter 2016 batch.
2017Lattice
Pivots from OKR goal tracking to continuous performance management, adding reviews and 1-on-1s.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2021Lattice
Raises a $60 million Series E in March, reaching a $1 billion valuation.
2022Lattice
Raises a $175 million Series F from Thrive Capital, Elad Gil, Tiger Global and Dragoneer at a $3 billion valuation (January).
2023Lattice
Announces in December that Salesforce President and CMO Sarah Franklin will succeed Jack Altman as CEO.
2024Lattice
Sarah Franklin becomes CEO in January; in July Lattice reverses a plan to create employee records for AI agents after backlash.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2025Lattice
Launches Habits and LatticeAI Agent Plus (October).
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026Lattice
Acquires Mandala's AI coaching technology (March 31) and launches Workforce Intelligence at Lattiverse (June 10).
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
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about Lattice vs Workday
Who is the CEO of Lattice and Workday, Inc.?
Lattice is led by Sarah Franklin 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 Lattice founded vs Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 10 years before Lattice, which was founded in 2015. Workday, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Lattice.
How many employees does Lattice have compared to Workday, Inc.?
Lattice employs approximately 750 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. Workday, Inc. has the larger workforce at 21,070 employees, compared to Lattice's 750. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Lattice and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
Both Lattice and Workday, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Lattice and Workday, Inc.?
Lattice was founded by Jack Altman, Eric Koslow. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — Lattice or Workday, Inc.?
Workday, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Lattice has been in operation for around 11 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 Lattice vs Workday overview