Workday CEO Eschenbach departs; co-founder Aneel Bhusri returns as CEO

Workday said Monday that chief executive Carl Eschenbach is stepping down and leaving the company’s board, effective immediately. Co-founder and former CEO Aneel Bhusri will return to the chief executive role. Eschenbach joined Workday in December 2022 as co-CEO alongside Bhusri and had been serving as sole CEO since February 2024.

Bhusri, who led the company from 2009 in various leadership arrangements, has been executive chairman since 2024; Workday confirmed he is returning as CEO on a permanent basis rather than as an interim leader. The company framed the move around a focus on AI. “We’re now entering one of the most pivotal moments in our history,” Bhusri said.

“AI is a bigger transformation than SaaS — and it will define the next generation of market leaders.

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