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Larry Ellison led Oracle Corporation as CEO from its founding in 1977 until 2014, transforming a startup into the world's second-largest software company.
His 37-year tenure centered on database technology innovation and strategic acquisitions.
In the 1980s, Ellison established Oracle Database as the market leader in relational database technology.
He then expanded Oracle's reach through calculated purchases of competitors, including PeopleSoft and Sun Microsystems, which secured Oracle's position in enterprise applications and hardware.
Ellison's aggressive leadership style produced both triumphs and failures.
In 1990, Oracle's premature booking of software licenses forced a 10% workforce reduction.
His 2002 declaration of Oracle software as "unbreakable" backfired when security experts exposed multiple vulnerabilities.
The abandoned $1.3 billion Affordix acquisition attempt in 2003 marked a strategic misstep.
Ellison embodied the role of tech industry visionary, but his combative approach to competition and tendency toward bold proclamations made him a polarizing figure.
Still, his impact remains clear: he built Oracle from nothing into an enterprise software giant, fundamentally reshaping how businesses manage and analyze data.
Mark Hurd was appointed as co-CEO at Oracle in September 2014, after an acclaimed tenure serving as CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 2005 to 2010. Hurd stepped into the CEO role at Oracle along with Safra Catz, following Oracle founder Larry Ellison's decision to step down from the CEO position.
Hurd was widely regarded for his business operational expertise and leadership in improving profits and operational efficiency.
Hurd transformed the company's focus toward cloud computing while driving revenue growth through acquisitions.
His leadership yielded tangible results: he built critical cloud infrastructure partnerships, launched competitive pricing models for cloud services, and orchestrated the strategic acquisition of NetSuite.
In 2019, health concerns forced Hurd to step away from his role. He died of cancer in October 2019 at age 62.
Hurd's sudden death was deeply mourned across Silicon Valley as a shocking loss of an accomplished chief executive and industry luminary.
During his short 5-year stint as co-CEO until his untimely demise, Hurd made an indelible impact shifting and reinvigorating Oracle's strategy to focus on high-growth cloud product lines.
He executed this strategic realignment with exceptional leadership marked by focus, discipline, and a results-driven management style—living up to his reputation of a world-class CEO capable of efficiently managing complex global organizations.
Safra Catz was appointed as co-CEO of Oracle in September 2014, sharing the CEO role with Mark Hurd until his passing in 2019.
Catz had previously served as Oracle's CFO and President since 2004. As the company's longest standing female executive, she took majority control as CEO after Hurd's death and continues to lead Oracle today.
Under Catz's leadership, Oracle has focused extensively on transitioning its business toward cloud computing.
Major priorities have included migrating Oracle's traditional on-premises customers to Oracle Cloud, competing vigorously against rival cloud vendors, and modernizing Oracle's products and sales strategies for cloud delivery models.
To support these shifts, Oracle has acquired numerous SaaS companies like NetSuite, BitRock and CrowdTwist under Catz's direction.
However, Catz has also attracted controversy around Oracle's M&A strategy, facing criticisms of overpaying for some acquisitions like the $9.3 billion purchase price for NetSuite.
Oracle's cloud pivot also led to layoffs impacting thousands of employees in product groups being deemphasized. While Oracle's revenues have stayed largely flat, its profitability has improved steadily with Catz citing disciplined cost management and capital allocation.
As CEO, Catz is often regarded as one of tech's toughest and most effective negotiators in deal-making.
With her pragmatic, competitive drive and relentless focus on shareholder returns, she has led Oracle's transformation initiatives with determination during a complex inflection point.
Entering her second decade as CEO, Catz remains firmly in control at the enterprise software giant—forging ahead boldly despite intense pressures reshaping the technology landscape Oracle operates in.
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