Peter Zaitsev

Co‑founder of Percona

Co‑founder of Percona and one of the foremost experts on MySQL strategy and optimization. Peter leveraged both his technical vision and entrepreneurial skills to grow Percona from a two‑person shop to one of the most respected open source companies in the business. A serial entrepreneur, he co‑founded his first startup while attending Moscow State University where he majored in Computer Science. He is a co‑author of High Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backups, and Replication, one of the most popular books on MySQL performance. Peter frequently speaks as an expert lecturer at open source database conferences and has contributed articles to outlets such as Fortune and DZone.

Community Office Hours: Why PostgreSQL took the crown from MySQL and what lies ahead - January 06, 2026

We’re excited to share that Peter Zaitsev, Founder of Percona, will present his talk “Why PostgreSQL Took the Crown from MySQL and What Lies Ahead.” After participating in Percona PGConf.EU in Riga, Peter is bringing this session to our community once again, with updated insights and perspectives from recent conversations with PostgreSQL experts and users.

Summit for MySQL Community, USA Edition — January 14, 2026

We’re gathering in San Francisco on January 14 for a focused, in‑person summit dedicated to strengthening the MySQL ecosystem through collaboration and contribution.

Summit for MySQL Community, EU Edition — February 2, 2026

We’re gathering in Brussels on February 2nd for a focused, in-person summit dedicated to strengthening the MySQL ecosystem through collaboration, contribution, and community building.

PG Armenia x Percona University – Yerevan, August 28, 2025

Percona and PG Armenia invite you to a free, in-person event in Yerevan, Armenia, as part of Percona University!

Percona University Istanbul 2024

Percona University is an ongoing series of community-driven database meetups, bringing together open-source enthusiasts from around the world. On September 7th, we landed in Istanbul, the vibrant cultural and economic hub of Türkiye, for a day of learning, networking, and meaningful connections.

Percona University Limassol 2024

On April 20th, 2024, people who love working with databases came together in Cyprus for something special - the Percona University Limassol. Percona put on this event to help folks dive deep into the latest database tech.

FOSDEM 2023

FOSDEM is very special: people from all over the world come to Brussels to participate in the biggest open source event in Europe. How many people? FOSDEM attracts more than 5000 attendees to the ULB Solbosch campus.

preFOSDEM MySQL Days 2023

Two days before the main FOSDEM event, MySQL enthusiasts all over the world gather together for learning and networking at preFOSDEM MySQL Days in Brussels. This time the event took place at the same building where it was interrupted by COVID - ICAB Incubator. The event was free but required registration due to limited capacity. A couple of weeks before the event, all available tickets were sold out.

Percona’s 15th Anniversary, MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL With Peter Zaitsev and Vadim Tkachenko - Percona Podcast 41

September 19, 2021 by Peter Zaitsev, Vadim Tkachenko, Matt Yonkovit

Over the last 15 years Percona has been helping, enhancing, and helping millions in the Open Source ecosystem!

Open Source Database vs. Server Side Public License SSPL With Peter Zaitsev - Percona Podcast 01

February 15, 2021 by Peter Zaitsev, Matt Yonkovit

On this episode of the HOSS (Head of open Source Strategy) talks FOSS (Free and Open Source Software), we talk with Peter Zaitsev CEO of Percona.