Sage Group vs ZoomInfo: Founders, CEOs and History
Sage Group was founded in 1981 by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller and is led by Steve Hare. ZoomInfo was founded in 2007 by Henry Schuck, Kirk Brown and is led by Henry Schuck.
Company facts
Sage Group
- Founded
- 1981
- Headquarters
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Steve Hare
- Employees
- 12,000
ZoomInfo
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Vancouver, Washington, United States
- Current CEO
- Henry Schuck
- Employees
- 3,508
Founders
Sage Group
David Goldman
David Goldman was the businessman behind Sage's founding in 1981. Looking for a computer program to speed up job estimating at his Newcastle print firm, he worked with Graham Wylie and Paul Muller, then turned the software into a product for other small busine…
Graham Wylie
Graham Wylie wrote much of Sage's early software while a student at Newcastle University and became one of the company's co-founders in 1981.
Paul Muller
Paul Muller co-founded Sage in 1981 with David Goldman and Graham Wylie, helping develop the original estimating and accounting software that the company commercialised for small businesses. Paul Muller was born in 1937 in Los Angeles.
ZoomInfo
Henry Schuck
Schuck co-founded DiscoverOrg in 2007, bootstrapping the B2B data company by manually compiling IT organizational charts.
Kirk Brown
Brown co-founded DiscoverOrg alongside Henry Schuck in 2007. He helped build the initial data collection methodologies that differentiated the company's B2B intelligence platform before eventually stepping back from day-to-day operations. Education: Universit…
CEOs and their tenures
Sage Group
- David Goldman1981–present
Co-Founder
Founding businessman behind Sage.
Source - Graham Wylie1981–2003
Co-Founder & Executive Architect
Technical co-founder of Sage.
Source - Paul Walker1994–2010
Chief Executive Officer
He expanded Sage through more than 100 acquisitions and it joined the FTSE 100 in 1999. Guy Berruyer succeeded him in 2010.
Source - Stephen Kelly2014–2018
Chief Executive Officer
He bought Intacct in 2017. He left in August 2018 and Steve Hare succeeded him.
Source - Steve Hare2018–present
Chief Executive Officer
Led Sage's shift to a focused cloud subscription business.
Source
ZoomInfo
- Henry Schuck2007–present
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Has led the company from its 2007 founding through its IPO and later repositioning as an AI go-to-market platform.
Source - Graham O'Brien2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
He helped navigate the post-IPO growth phase and optimized go-to-market strategies amid increasing macroeconomic headwinds in software spending.
Source
Timeline: Sage Group and ZoomInfo side by side
1981Sage Group
Sage founded in Newcastle
David Goldman, Paul Muller and Graham Wylie founded Sage after building estimating software for a Newcastle print business.
1984Sage Group
Amstrad bundling drives adoption
Accounting software bundled with Amstrad PCW computers in the mid-1980s brought Sage to a mass UK small-business market.
1989Sage Group
London Stock Exchange listing
Sage listed on the London Stock Exchange and began acquiring accounting software firms abroad.
1999Sage Group
FTSE 100 entry and Peachtree deal
Sage joined the FTSE 100 and bought US small-business accounting brand Peachtree, later sold as Sage 50 in the US.
2000ZoomInfo
Eliyon Technologies Founded
Yonatan Stern and Michel Decary founded Eliyon Technologies in 2000, the company later renamed Zoom Information.
2007ZoomInfo
Henry Schuck and Kirk Brown found DiscoverOrg.
2014Sage Group
Stephen Kelly Becomes CEO
Stephen Kelly became chief executive of Sage in November 2014.
2017Sage Group
Intacct acquired for $850 million
Sage bought US cloud financial management company Intacct for $850 million, creating Sage Intacct.
2017Sage Group
Acquired Fairsail (Sage People)
The Sage Group acquired Fairsail (Sage People).
2017ZoomInfo
DiscoverOrg acquires RainKing.
2018Sage Group
Steve Hare becomes CEO
CFO Steve Hare succeeded Stephen Kelly as CEO in November 2018 and focused Sage on cloud subscriptions.
2019Sage Group
Sage Pay Sold
Sage agreed in 2019 to sell its payments business Sage Pay to Elavon.
2019ZoomInfo
DiscoverOrg acquires Zoom Information, Inc. in February and rebrands as ZoomInfo.
2020ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo lists on Nasdaq under the ticker ZI on June 4.
2020ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo IPO
ZoomInfo listed on the Nasdaq on June 4, 2020 at $21 a share.
2021ZoomInfo
Acquires Insent, Chorus.ai and RingLead.
2022ZoomInfo
Annual revenue passes $1 billion ($1,098.0 million).
2024Sage Group
Sage Copilot launched
Sage introduced Sage Copilot, a generative AI assistant built into its accounting products.
2025Sage Group
FY25 revenue reaches ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million)
Underlying revenue rose 10% to ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million), 97% recurring, with a 23.9% underlying operating margin.
2025ZoomInfo
Changes Nasdaq ticker from ZI to GTM in May; names Graham O'Brien permanent CFO in August; reports FY2025 revenue of $1,249.5 million.
2026Sage Group
Growth accelerates to 11%
Revenue rose 11% to ~$2.72 billion (£2,062 million) in the nine months to 30 June 2026; Jacqui Cartin became CFO in January.
2026ZoomInfo
Launches GTM.AI and records a $650.5 million goodwill impairment in Q2.
Acquisitions
Sage Group
- AutoEntry (OCREX Limited)2019Undisclosed
- Intacct Corporation2017$850M
- Fairsail (Sage People)2017Undisclosed
ZoomInfo
- Chorus.ai2021$575M
- RingLead2021Undisclosed
- Zoom Information, Inc.2019$500M
- Datanyze2018Undisclosed
Questions about Sage Group vs ZoomInfo
Who is the CEO of The Sage Group plc and ZoomInfo?
The Sage Group plc is led by Steve Hare and ZoomInfo is led by Henry Schuck. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Sage Group plc founded vs ZoomInfo?
The Sage Group plc was founded in 1981 — 26 years before ZoomInfo, which was founded in 2007. The Sage Group plc's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger ZoomInfo.
How many employees does The Sage Group plc have compared to ZoomInfo?
The Sage Group plc employs approximately 12,000 people, while ZoomInfo employs approximately 3,508. The Sage Group plc has the larger workforce at 12,000 employees, compared to ZoomInfo's 3,508. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Sage Group plc and ZoomInfo headquartered?
The Sage Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and ZoomInfo is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded The Sage Group plc and ZoomInfo?
The Sage Group plc was founded by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller. ZoomInfo was founded by Henry Schuck, Kirk Brown.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Sage Group plc or ZoomInfo?
The Sage Group plc has been operating for approximately 45 years, making it the more established of the two companies. ZoomInfo has been in operation for around 19 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 Sage Group vs ZoomInfo overview