When mammoths like these are acquired or merged, there's a ton of groundwork that has to be done before any real work even begins.
AI dominates headlines, but it’s the human factor that decides what sticks. Salesforce’s planned acquisition of Informatica is the latest in a wave of AI-fueled transformation plays—but the risk isn’t in the code. It’s in the people. And when that risk gets ignored, even the boldest bets can unravel.
Guru Sathyanarayana, VP of Strategy, Transformation, and Operations at Test Yantra Global (TYG), a global software testing and test automation services firm. He's seen how bold transformations fall apart when companies overlook the people behind the change.
When giants collide: Deals like Salesforce–Informatica don’t just merge platforms—they merge people, cultures, and operational realities. And that’s where the turbulence hits. "When mammoths like these are acquired or merged, there's a ton of groundwork that has to be done before any real work even begins," Sathyanarayana says. The fallout is familiar: duplicated roles, unclear responsibilities, and a scramble to define who owns what.
He calls the cleanup a "heavy lift"—and one that can’t be done in silence. "I advocate honesty—it goes a long way. Especially when there could be layoffs or internal job transfers," says Sathyanarayana. That honesty runs through months of groundwork: mapping skills, shifting teams, and blending company cultures. "Communication is super crucial because everybody is now vulnerable," he adds. Without it, even the best-laid strategy unravels—not from lack of vision, but from lack of trust.
The AI tightrope: "It's artificial intelligence—it's not natural. There's a smartness in human beings, and the risk is that we become so pigeonholed by these tools, we stop thinking beyond them," says Sathyanarayana. The real danger in AI adoption isn’t the tech itself—it’s losing the human edge. "We have to be in the race to survive. It's no longer an option," he says, acknowledging that clients often feel they’re already behind.
But pressure isn’t strategy. And when AI is layered onto the already chaotic terrain of a merger, the risks multiply. The challenge is to adopt AI in a way that’s sustainable and genuinely valuable—not just because "everybody is doing it."
It's artificial intelligence—it's not natural. There's a smartness in human beings, and the risk is that we become so pigeonholed by these tools, we stop thinking beyond them.
Not enough red tape: "The risk is that what we do now will impact the future workforce," Sathyanarayana warns, pointing to the broader societal cost of unchecked AI adoption. The real challenge? Guardrails are coming too late—if at all. "By the time they get to these red tape channels, it's way too difficult to even put a law in place," he says. "Nobody understands it either." That complexity only deepens in the context of large-scale integrations like Salesforce–Informatica, where AI isn’t just a product feature—it becomes central to the operating model.
Instead of waiting for regulation to catch up, he pushes for earlier intervention. "Rather than fixing things at the far end, we're trying to add guardrails later and see what’s already been pushed into the system." That responsibility, he argues, can’t fall on policymakers alone—it starts with schools, parents, and education systems stepping in now to shape how future generations engage with AI.
Smiles > scripts: At the core, his stance is simple: "That human component will never die." Even the most advanced, emotionally attuned AI can’t replace what people still crave—real connection. "No matter how much we replace with AI—the new tools, technologies, even sophisticated, emotionally connected AIs—there’s still a human component people want to talk to," Sathyanarayana says.
As his colleague and sales leader puts it: "It's not just about what’s sold, it’s about who’s selling it. People buy from people they like. My customers want to work with me because they like me more than the service or the product." Especially during or after a merger, every touchpoint matters. "These interactions will make or break a relationship." That’s the part no AI or acquisition can automate, and the real test for deals like Salesforce–Informatica will be whether they remember it.
