SAP vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
SAP was founded in 1972 by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector and is led by Christian Klein. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
SAP
Dietmar Hopp
Dietmar Hopp is one of SAP's five co-founders. After leaving IBM in 1972, he helped build the company's first real-time financial accounting software for chemical maker ICI. He served as co-CEO of SAP from 1988 to 1998 and later sat on the Supervisory Board.
Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner is the SAP co-founder most closely tied to its technology roadmap, from R/3 to the in-memory HANA database.
Hans-Werner Hector
Hans-Werner Hector is one of SAP's five co-founders. He worked on the company's early software and later served on its Executive Board. He co-founded the Hector Foundation, which funds science, medical research and education for gifted children in Germany.
Klaus Tschira
Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) was one of SAP's five co-founders and a long-serving member of its Executive Board and later its Supervisory Board.
Claus Wellenreuther
Claus Wellenreuther is one of SAP's five co-founders. He contributed to the early financial accounting software that became the RF module, SAP's first product. He left SAP in 1980 for health reasons.
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
SAP
- Jennifer Morgan2019–2020
Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive of SAP from 2019 to 2020.
Source - Christian Klein2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Klein, cloud revenue grew from ~$9.15 billion (EUR 8.1 billion) in 2020 to ~$23.7 billion (EUR 21.0 billion) in 2025, and SAP's strategy narrowed to cloud ERP, data and Business AI.
Source - Dominik Asam2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
CFO and Executive Board member since March 2023, responsible for finance during SAP's cloud transition and restructuring.
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: SAP and Workday side by side
1972SAP
SAP is founded
Five former IBM employees founded SAP to build real-time standard business software.
1992SAP
SAP R/3 launches
R/3 brought client-server ERP to a broader global enterprise market.
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.
2015SAP
S/4HANA launches
S/4HANA became the foundation for SAP's next-generation ERP roadmap.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2020SAP
Christian Klein becomes sole CEO
Christian Klein became sole chief executive of SAP SE in April 2020 after six months as co-CEO.
2023SAP
Joule announced
SAP introduced Joule as a generative AI assistant for enterprise applications.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2025SAP
Cloud revenue reaches ~$23.8B (EUR 21.023B)
SAP's 2025 results showed cloud revenue, backlog, and predictable revenue becoming central to the model.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026SAP
Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions close
SAP completed the Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions in July 2026 to strengthen Business Data Cloud and AI on structured data.
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
SAP
- Dremio2026Undisclosed
- Prior Labs2026Undisclosed
- WalkMe2024$1.5B
- Qualtrics2019$8B
- Concur Technologies2014$8.3B
- SuccessFactors2012$3.4B
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about SAP vs Workday
Who is the CEO of SAP SE and Workday, Inc.?
SAP SE is led by Christian Klein 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 SAP SE founded vs Workday, Inc.?
SAP SE was founded in 1972 — 33 years before Workday, Inc., which was founded in 2005. SAP SE's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Workday, Inc..
How many employees does SAP SE have compared to Workday, Inc.?
SAP SE employs approximately 112,019 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. SAP SE has the larger workforce at 112,019 employees, compared to Workday, Inc.'s 21,070. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are SAP SE and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
SAP SE is headquartered in Germany and Workday, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded SAP SE and Workday, Inc.?
SAP SE was founded by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — SAP SE or Workday, Inc.?
SAP SE has been operating for approximately 54 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Workday, Inc. has been in operation for around 21 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 SAP vs Workday overview