Dave Duffield is an accomplished software industry executive and visionary. He has an extensive history of pioneering new ground in business applications.

Dave founded PeopleSoft in 1987 and served as the company's CEO and board chairman. He was responsible for the company's vision, product and market direction, and commitment to customer service. In addition, he inspired the company's unique culture by promoting core values that focused on people, innovation, integrity and fun. PeopleSoft grew to be the world's second-largest application software company before being acquired by Oracle in January 2005.

Prior to PeopleSoft, Dave established two mainframe application software companies. He was CEO, chairman, and chief product architect at Integral Systems, the first company to offer DB2-based human resource and accounting systems. He also co-founded Information Associates which specialized in applications for the higher education market. He began his career at IBM as a marketing representative and systems engineer.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Cornell University.

Press Photos

Dave’s Turn
Workday's Co-founder and CEO Dave Duffield candidly answers some commonly asked questions:

Q: Why are you doing this again?
Dave: We're back because there's a great market opportunity for a new solution. After PeopleSoft, it became clear that a shift in technology was occurring, so Aneel [Bhusri], Stan [Swete], and I thought, "Why not try something new?"

PeopleSoft started with a shift in technology, from the old mainframe to the client-server model. The same thing is happening today. If this wave is anything like what happened then, we have an opportunity to be the next great ERP company.

Plus, it's important to me that my kids see their dad working.

Q: This is the fifth company you've founded. What will you do differently this time?
Dave: I'm definitely older but also wiser about what works and what doesn't with building a company.

But wisdom doesn't necessarily mean changing anything. PeopleSoft was a marvelous organization. It was revered by employees and its customer base. Wisdom at Workday would be to do what we did before-except for the technology and the way we approach business applications, obviously.

Q: What do you think is the most exciting thing about Workday?
Dave: Working with a team of really smart, motivated people and forward-thinking, enthusiastic customers. For a job, it doesn't get more exciting than that.

Q: What's missing in the marketplace?
Dave: Before the software-as-a-service model started gaining momentum, I felt like the industry had lost a passion for innovation and a focus on the customer. We're focusing on both to help breathe new life into this business.

Q: What are early customers telling you?
Dave: That they want more - technology, functionality, reporting, financials. They really appreciate the ease of change and the speed of implementation.

Q: What are your top three management principles?
Dave: I'm not a manager, but I look for really smart people who have the innate ability to work together for the common good. People with their own personal feelings about things, and people with a strong work ethic-not after just a paycheck.

I also like a sales orientation as well as concern for the customer. Also, realists who say "if you do that, we can't do this." You need a diverse blend of personalities for a strong, balanced team.

Q: If you could sit down with Larry Ellison, what would you say to him?
Dave: I'd compliment him on what he has done with the PeopleSoft customer base versus what people thought he would do, and I'd ask him to continue to take care of those customers.