Workday CEO Change Brings Bhusri Back
Workday CEO change returned Aneel Bhusri as CEO and reaffirmed FY2026 outlook, prompting investor selling ahead of upcoming results.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Aneel Bhusri returned as CEO on Feb. 9, 2026 to lead an AI-focused next chapter.
- Workday reaffirmed its FY2026 Q4 and full-year outlook and noted a Feb. 4 Form 8-K GAAP margin update.
- Carl Eschenbach stepped down from the board and will serve as a strategic adviser to Bhusri.
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Workday announced on Feb. 9, 2026, that co-founder Aneel Bhusri returns as chief executive effective immediately, replacing Carl Eschenbach. The company said Bhusri will lead an AI-focused next chapter and reaffirmed its FY2026 outlook with a GAAP operating-margin update.
Bhusri Returns as CEO to Lead AI Strategy
Aneel Bhusri, who had been serving as executive chair and previously led Workday as CEO, will resume the role to guide the company’s AI-driven strategy. In the press release, Bhusri described artificial intelligence as "a bigger transformation than SaaS" that will shape the next generation of market leaders.
Carl Eschenbach, who served as CEO for three years, will step down from the board but remain a strategic adviser to Bhusri. The company credited Eschenbach’s tenure with scaling Workday globally, enhancing operational discipline, broadening industry focus, and establishing significant groundwork in AI.
Mark Hawkins, vice chair and lead independent director, endorsed Bhusri’s leadership for the company’s AI era.
Outlook and Timing
Workday reaffirmed its FY2026 fourth-quarter and full-year outlook in line with guidance provided on Nov. 25, 2025. A Form 8-K filed on Feb. 4 disclosed an update to the FY2026 fourth-quarter GAAP operating margin. The company plans to report its FY2026 fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 24, 2026.
Serving more than 11,000 organizations, including roughly 65% of the Fortune 500, Workday positioned the leadership change as part of continuity through the transition, which coincides with the start of fiscal 2027.
