Salesforce picks board member Robin Washington to be its next finance and operating leader

Core Insights - Salesforce announced that Robin Washington, former finance chief of Gilead Sciences, will join as president and chief financial and operating officer in March, replacing Amy Weaver and Brian Millham, who will retire in May [1][2][3] - Under Weaver's leadership, Salesforce improved its adjusted operating margin earlier than expected due to pressure from activist investors [2] - Washington has been a board member since 2013 and has served as lead independent director since 2022, bringing extensive experience from her previous roles at Gilead, Hyperion, and PeopleSoft [3][5] Leadership Changes - Robin Washington will replace Amy Weaver as finance chief and Brian Millham as operating chief, with both retiring in May [1][2] - Arnold Donald, former CEO of Carnival, will take over as lead independent director [3] - Millham has been with Salesforce since its inception and took on additional responsibilities after the departure of co-CEO Bret Taylor in early 2023 [6] Strategic Direction - CEO Marc Benioff highlighted Washington's visionary leadership and expertise, indicating her role will be crucial in guiding Salesforce into the "Agentforce era," which focuses on automating sales and customer service processes [4][3] - Washington's background includes significant roles in finance at major software companies, which aligns with Salesforce's strategic goals [5]