Workday's returning CEO looks to Steve Jobs for an AI-era comeback
Aneel Bhusri, who co-founded Workday, took back the CEO role in February after handing it to Carl Eschenbach in 2024. He is trying to guide the company through the AI era and studied Steve Jobs's return to Apple for lessons on culture, focus, and speed. Bhusri has cut some AI-related initiatives and argues that founders often have the innovation skills needed now.
Aneel Bhusri co-founded Workday in 2005 at age 39. The company now ranks No. 430 on the Fortune 500 and reported roughly $9.6 billion in revenue last fiscal year. He handed the CEO job to Carl Eschenbach in early 2024, then returned in February after co-founder Dave Duffield urged him to.
Before returning, Bhusri studied Steve Jobs's second Apple tenure, even sending managers Instagram clips. He cut Workday's AI offerings from 50 to 20 and dropped projects outside its core focus. He says AI can already handle HR, finance, and legal tasks at levels comparable to people.
Bhusri's return and narrower AI focus could reshape how Workday serves HR, finance, and legal teams. Workers in those functions may see tasks automated or redesigned, while employers could face pressure to retrain staff. If Workday succeeds, other enterprise software firms may imitate its founder-led, startup-style approach. The outcome may influence job quality and access to AI tools across large organizations, though effects will likely vary by role and industry.