I had to make a big bet on a make-or-break 18 months. I later sold my company for $8 billion but first I had to dive deep into the 'gray area' 

Tech CEOs spend hours in the public eye—at industry events, on earnings calls, engaging the media, communicating via our social channels. Then it’s back to the 24/7 grind in pursuit of innovation and market leadership, a responsibility that is as challenging as it is exciting.

I worked my way up the management learning curve—at organizations including Intuit , Symantec, McKinsey and Infosys—before taking over as Informatica’s CEO five years ago. I’ve had to think differently about a range of issues: how to nurture talent amid the rise of artificial intelligence, how to make buck-stops-here decisions, and how to drive differentiation and value relentlessly.

Business and technology leaders everywhere must navigate a complex global environment, and that’s force multiplied for tech CEOs