Workiva (WK) Baird Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference 2025 summary

Demand environment and macro trends

• Saw strong growth in 2023, but Q1 2024 showed a more cautious buying environment due to macro uncertainty, especially in North America.

• Buyers are scrutinizing business cases more closely and delaying decisions amid turbulence and uncertainty.

• Guidance for the year was maintained despite the softer environment, reflecting confidence in the business model.

Margin expansion and operational efficiency

• Margin improvement is targeted through R&D leverage, automation, AI, and increased use of lower-cost resources and offshoring.

• Outsourcing low-margin services to partners and developing partner centers of excellence are key to margin gains.

• Plans are in place to achieve operating margin targets by 2027, with line of sight to 1,000 basis points of improvement.

Platform evolution and growth strategy

• Transitioned from a single-product to a broad platform for assured integrated reporting, including financial, GRC, and sustainability solutions.

• Account expansion and strong partner relationships, especially with consulting and advisory firms, drive growth.

• Platform success is intentional, focusing on multi-solution sales and higher deal sizes through partner co-selling.