Workday vs ZoomInfo: Founders, CEOs and History
Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri. ZoomInfo was founded in 2007 by Henry Schuck, Kirk Brown and is led by Henry Schuck.
Company facts
Founders
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.
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
Workday
- Carl Eschenbach2022–2026
Former CEO
As co-CEO and later sole CEO, he aggressively pushed the platform beyond HR into the broader and highly lucrative enterprise financial management sector.
Source - Zane Rowe2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
He strengthened the corporate balance sheet, enabling strategic AI acquisitions while maintaining disciplined capital allocation.
Source - Aneel Bhusri2026–present
Co-founder, CEO, and Chair
He scaled the company into a dominant cloud SaaS provider, fundamentally reshaping the enterprise software market before handing over the CEO reins.
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: Workday and ZoomInfo side by side
2000ZoomInfo
Eliyon Technologies Founded
Yonatan Stern and Michel Decary founded Eliyon Technologies in 2000, the company later renamed Zoom Information.
2005Workday
Workday Founded
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri found Workday after Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.
2006Workday
Workday launches
Workday, founded in March 2005, launches publicly in November 2006.
2007ZoomInfo
Henry Schuck and Kirk Brown found DiscoverOrg.
2012Workday
IPO
Workday lists on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012; it later moves its listing to Nasdaq.
2017ZoomInfo
DiscoverOrg acquires RainKing.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2019Workday
Scout RFP Acquired
Workday bought the procurement software company Scout RFP in 2019 for about $540 million.
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.
2021Workday
Acquired Peakon
Workday acquired Peakon for $700 million.
2021ZoomInfo
Acquires Insent, Chorus.ai and RingLead.
2022ZoomInfo
Annual revenue passes $1 billion ($1,098.0 million).
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2024Workday
Acquired HiredScore
Workday acquired HiredScore.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
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.
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.
2026ZoomInfo
Launches GTM.AI and records a $650.5 million goodwill impairment in Q2.
Acquisitions
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
ZoomInfo
- Chorus.ai2021$575M
- RingLead2021Undisclosed
- Zoom Information, Inc.2019$500M
- Datanyze2018Undisclosed
Questions about Workday vs ZoomInfo
Who is the CEO of Workday, Inc. and ZoomInfo?
Workday, Inc. is led by Aneel Bhusri 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 Workday, Inc. founded vs ZoomInfo?
Workday, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 2 years before ZoomInfo, which was founded in 2007. Workday, Inc.'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 Workday, Inc. have compared to ZoomInfo?
Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070 people, while ZoomInfo employs approximately 3,508. Workday, Inc. has the larger workforce at 21,070 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 Workday, Inc. and ZoomInfo headquartered?
Both Workday, Inc. and ZoomInfo are headquartered in United States. Their local rules and tax obligations may still differ.
Who founded Workday, Inc. and ZoomInfo?
Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri. ZoomInfo was founded by Henry Schuck, Kirk Brown.
Which company has a longer operating history — Workday, Inc. or ZoomInfo?
Workday, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 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 Workday vs ZoomInfo overview