Jim Davis, the long-time executive vice president and chief marketing officer at SAS, is taking on the same title at Informatica. In an interview Friday, Davis disclosed what he will be doing at the California-based big data company and why he chose to leave SAS.

But before describing his new job and why he left, Davis chose to stress his relationship with SAS, which he left on Dec. 6. While SAS disclosed Davis was joining Informatica, Informatica did not disclose what Davis would be doing until Friday.

“SAS has been incredibly good to me – Jim Goodnight in particular,” Davis said of Goodnight, the Cary-based software giant’s co-founder and CEO.

“This is probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Davis said of his decision to leave. “I received an offer that was very, very interesting – and one I couldn’t refuse, based on the work that I am going to do.

“I have received a number of unsolicited job offers over the years, and this one really stood out.”

Anil Chakravarthy, chief executive officer of Informatica, praised Davis in his first comment about the hiring.

“We are excited to add Jim Davis to our leadership team as the EVP and CMO,” he said. “Jim is joining Informatica at the ideal time and he brings a strong track record of performance and a wealth of practical experience.”

Having just been taken private earlier this year, Informatica is planning new initiatives and new products, Davis said. His new boss says Davis will help drive those efforts.

“Jim’s background and expertise will be instrumental as we enter the next chapter of growth for the company and deliver the solutions for our customers to realize business value from all things data.”

Some other points in the interview:

  • Despite the same title as the one he held at SAS, Davis does not see the move as a lateral one.
  • He also said he did not see Informatica and SAS as direct competitors even though both deal in big data.
  • Davis said he would not have gone to work for a direct competitor of SAS.
  • Davis will remain in the Triangle with an office in Cary. He also will have an office at Informatica’s California headquarters.

(Note: WTW will have much more about the Davis move, and what Informatica is doing in Cary in a second story to be published later.)

SAS Goodwill

SAS had issued positive statements about Davis in disclosing his departure after 21 years.

“While Jim has been a key part of our marketing organization, 21 years is a long time to spend at one company, especially in this industry,” said SAS spokesperson Shannon Heath. “He has very marketable skills and has chosen to move into a leadership position with Informatica.”

Goodnight thanked Davis for his service in a statement and said, “While we are sad to see him leave, change can also present opportunity. We have a deep bench of senior leadership who will have no trouble maintaining our momentum.”

Comparing the companies

There are numerous similarities between the two companies:

  • Both focus on “big data,” integration and analytics.
  • Both are privately held.
  • Both are frequently cited as market leaders by research firms.

For example, Gartner, one of the world’s most widely respected technology analysis firms, has given Informatica high marks in several recent reports, such as:

  • “Gartner Positions Informatica as a Leader in 2015 Magic Quadrant for Data Quality Tools”
  • “Gartner Positions Informatica as the Only Visionary in 2015 Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management of Product Data Solutions”
  • “Gartner Positions Informatica as a Leader in 2015 Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management of Customer Data Solutions”

Informatica launched in 1993, went public in 1999, but earlier this year was taken private in a $5.3 billion deal by the Permira and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Microsoft and Salesforce Ventures are among the strategic investors in Informatica.

Informatica also has a presence in the Triangle, having acquired software firm StrikeIron in 2014.