Databricks has appointed former Salesforce executive Simon Davies as its new Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), marking another notable leadership move from the Salesforce ecosystem into the fast-growing AI and data space, according to various sources.
The move adds to the growing pattern we explored recently – Why Does Salesforce’s Top Talent Keep Leaving? – which highlighted how senior leaders are increasingly using Salesforce as a springboard into new executive and AI-focused roles. Davies’ appointment may be the latest example of this ongoing trend.
Another Salesforce Leader Moves Into AI Growth
Davies brings more than three decades of experience across enterprise tech, including the aforementioned leadership role at Salesforce, where he contributed to regional growth and customer strategy. His fresh move to Databricks comes at a time when demand for AI-driven platforms is accelerating, particularly across APJ markets.
While Davies most recently served as SAP’s Regional President for Asia Pacific, his earlier tenure at Salesforce puts this particular move in the spotlight. As outlined in our previous coverage, experienced Salesforce leaders are increasingly transitioning into AI, data, and analytics companies as enterprise priorities evolve.
Databricks appears to be capitalizing on this momentum. The company reported more than 85% year-over-year growth in the APJ region and is actively expanding its footprint, including a new regional HQ in Singapore and a workforce of over 1,500 employees.
Davies will oversee operations across key markets such as Australia and New Zealand, ASEAN, India, Japan, Korea, and Greater China.
For Salesforce professionals, this move is particularly significant. It reinforces the idea that leadership experience within the ecosystem, especially across cloud and data, is highly transferable to competitive adjacent markets.
Davies’ appointment also reflects a broader competitive dynamic at play. Vendors like Databricks are positioning themselves as key players in enterprise AI transformation, often working alongside – or in competition with – CRM platforms like Salesforce.
Leaders with Salesforce experience are therefore well placed to help bridge the gap between customer data/analytics and AI execution.
SF Ben has reached out to Salesforce for comment.
Final Thoughts
While executive movies are not uncommon by any means, this appointment stands out for what it represents. The continued flow of senior talent from Salesforce, past or present, into AI-focused organizations reinforces what we’re seeing in the industry at the moment.
As we’ve explored, this does not necessarily point to a “brain drain” but rather to the strength of Salesforce as a good starting point for effective long-term leadership roles.
