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Larry Ellison served as the Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Corporation from 1977 when he co-founded the company, until September 2014 when he stepped down from the CEO position.
Over his 37-year tenure as Oracle CEO, Ellison grew a small software start-up into one of the largest enterprise software companies in the world, known especially for its database software and technologies.
Ellison experienced great success in aggressively expanding Oracle's products and market share through both internal innovation and an astute acquisition strategy.
Key milestones included establishing Oracle Database as a leading database platform in the 1980s, pioneering relational database technologies, and introducing application software and middleware products that complemented Oracle's databases.
Under Ellison's leadership, Oracle also acquired major competitors like PeopleSoft and Sun Microsystems, which gave Oracle leadership in enterprise applications and hardware systems markets.
However, Oracle also experienced some significant controversies and failures during Ellison's CEO tenure.
In 1990, Oracle had to lay off 10% of its work force due to accounting errors that led the company to prematurely book future software license deals.
The company also faced a major challenge in 2002 when Ellison aggressively marketed the “unbreakable” security of Oracle's software, only for security experts to expose multiple vulnerabilities soon after.
Oracle’s later-abandoned $1.3 billion acquisition attempt of the software firm Affordix in 2003 was considered an overpriced and unusual move led by Ellison.
While Ellison was renowned as a visionary and demanding leader who helped transform the enterprise software landscape, his aggressive nature, hubris, and combative tactics against rivals also made him a controversial figure.
Ultimately Ellison left a profound legacy by establishing Oracle as the second-largest software company during his nearly four-decade run serving as its charismatic and ever-optimistic chieftain.
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.
At Oracle, he focused heavily on a transition toward cloud-based products and helped Oracle deliver consistent revenue growth through strategic acquisitions.
Key achievements during his tenure included spearheading Oracle's partnerships and investments in cloud infrastructure, introducing lower-cost cloud services and product offerings, and playing a pivotal role in major acquisition deals for companies like NetSuite.
However, controversy struck in 2019 when Hurd took a leave of absence for health reasons. He passed away soon after in October 2019 due to cancer 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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