Jim Davis, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of SAS, is leaving the company for California-based Informatica.
Davis, who has been at SAS for more than 20 years, broke the news there on Monday.
“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.”
- Analysis: Losing Jim Davis is a huge blow to SAS
Informatica has yet to comment on the Davis decision.
SAS CEO Jim 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.”
Like SAS, Informatica focuses on “big data,” integration and analytics.
Like SAS as well, Informatica is privately held. The firm 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.
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”
