When Amit Walia became CEO of Informatica in 2020, he inherited a company at a crossroads—and turned it into a cloud-era success story. Under his leadership, the once on-prem software provider reinvented itself as a multi-product, cloud-native platform and is now joining forces with Salesforce. In this conversation, Walia reflects on transformation, culture, and why even in the age of AI, data—and humanity—still come first.
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You’ve led Informatica through some really significant transformations since becoming CEO in 2020. What are you most proud of on this journey?
We were an on-premises, single product, software licensing company. We went through a complete metamorphosis. The biggest pivot was to actually become a multi-product platform company; we became a cloud-only company. We’re now squarely positioned as the go-to strategic partner of the big cloud providers. That’s a massive product technology platform transition, and principally crucial for any tech company to survive. We also were a public company that had gone private in 2015; I took it to the street, and the company went public again in 2021.
Another point of pride is related to our people—our culture and values—during all these pivots. Our values make up the word DATA. “D” stands for “Do good.” “A” for “Act as one team.” “T” for “Think customer-first.” “A” for “Aspire and innovate.”
For me, it’s been about building these values and taking our people on that journey. We were really intentional about not leaving people behind. We didn’t want to pit a new Informatica against an old one; we wanted to bring people along to the new. That people journey was incredibly important to me.
When it comes to culture, how do you foster one that’s both deeply technical and highly innovative?
People don’t innovate because they’ve been asked to. They do it because they understand the larger purpose and because it’s in their own interest to become more valuable in the market by being more technically advanced.
Innovative culture is all about the why. Why are we doing something? Once that why is clear, the what and how become a lot easier.
Sure, there’s times that we may need to go really fast and really hard; but it also can’t be nonstop burning the midnight oil. People need time to step back and enjoy the reward of their journey.
In a sector that moves so quickly, how do you decide which trends are worth betting on?
We talk to customers, and not only about a specific problem and answer. We have open-ended conversations about their issues, their pain points. We also talk to our ecosystem partners and ask them what they’re hearing. What issues are their customers grappling with? What’s on the horizon? I also talk to my tech peers to understand the landscape; this is increasingly critical as technology has become so interdependent.
And, then, it’s about trusting your gut and recognizing that when you take bets, some might not be right. And that’s fine!
What’s a bet you’ve made with your gut?
When we decided that Informatica should invest in building a platform, it felt like a huge bet because it hadn’t been done in our category before. It meant taking resources away from building individual products.
We had to believe in our long view to make that call, instead of pursuing what might have felt urgent. You always need that short- and long-term perspective to understand what the outcome could and should be.
Speaking of big shifts, earlier this year Informatica announced it's going to be acquired by Salesforce. Congratulations! How will this change your work?
Once we close, we'll have a lot more to talk about on that. Some things may change: the logo may look different, we’ll all become part of Salesforce. But some things don’t change.
The question that’s guided me is: “Is this something that will be in the interest of our customers and our employees?” Our customers get more innovation from us and we’re becoming part of a larger organization that’s already extremely innovative, especially in the world of AI.
It doesn’t hurt that our values match—it’s an absolute fit.
What about the future of data and AI keeps you up at night, not only as a CEO, but also as a civilian?
By itself, AI doesn’t create any value. Nothing. AI only creates value when used properly. The value comes from data and its infrastructure. You need holistic, not partial data. Messy data will lead to bad answers. Then, when it comes to output, there needs to be governance around it. All those things are part of what we call data management, and that’s what I think about for a living.
Beyond logistics, I think about the ethics of AI and its impact on humanity. Like technology that’s come before it, AI has the potential to help humankind become better. Past tech revolutions have bettered society in terms of increased productivity and improved income levels and standards of living. My hope is that there will be human-centered AI that considers ethics and its value to society and humanity—not just technology for the sake of itself.
What did you learn during your time at the Firm that has helped you in your leadership journey?
I learned not to be fazed by complexity—that there’s no problem too big to solve. Every problem has an answer when you learn to break it into smaller, and smaller, and smaller (subatomic even) components. It’s all solvable no matter how behemoth it seems.
What’s the best advice you ever received from a Firm mentor?
At the Firm, you get feedback all the time. The way it’s shared so honestly and frequently is unique, and it’s a gift. It can be intimidating to receive, but it’s hard to find in the “real world.”
But when I was leaving the Firm, a Senior Partner asked me what I wanted to be. I told him I wanted to be a Senior Executive. He told me, “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, you’ll only thrive based on your strengths. The reality is going to be that as much as you try to grow and fix your weakness, your weakness will still be a weakness. So, build on your strengths. Let them lead you to bigger success. Don’t get so stuck on your weakness that they become fatal flaws.”
I’ve held onto that advice; I try to be aware of my weaknesses because I don’t want a blind spot, but I also do my best not to overthink them.
Looking back at your Firm journey, what advice do you have for someone who's thinking about joining?
The Firm is an amazing place to soak in information that’s valuable not just for whatever project you’re working on, but for your life. So, my advice is, be a sponge.
I remember coming to the Firm and being so intimidated. Everyone around me had a drive to succeed. Everyone was so smart. Imposter syndrome started to kick in, and that became, “Everyone is smarter than me.”
It can be easy to focus on performance, which is important. But, through it all, you have to remember, it’s really about learning.
Is there any art or pop culture that’s shaped how you think about leadership?
There’s a book I read during my first year of undergrad—”Freedom at Midnight”—about the history of India’s freedom. Mahatma Gandhi was basically the father of our nation and a pioneer of nonviolence. Reading it, there were portions of the book where I couldn’t control my emotions. I wept as I read. It felt as if I’d walked into that time and I could see how hard it is not to retaliate, but to continue resistance enough to overthrow the British empire. It struck me as tremendous leadership. The book stayed with me.
My favorite artist is Pink Floyd. They’re amazing composers, amazing lyricists, and obviously musicians. "Dark Side of the Moon” still touches me. The song “Wish You Were Here” is very personal. It’s a reminder to live life with no regrets.
Now, for the lightning round! What trait do you hope people will still associate with you in 20 years?
I hope I'm remembered as a very approachable human person.
What do you never leave home without?
My wallet, car keys, and AirPods.
And finally ... what is a technology that you secretly love that most people think is out of date or unnecessary?
Email. I still live in email as a primary form of communication and don’t think it’s going anywhere.
