Mark Hurd Obituary: The CEO Of Silicon Valley

Mark Hurd Obituary: Oracle and Hewlett-Packard are two of the oldest corporations in Silicon Valley, and its CEO, Mark Hurd, has passed away. He was 62 years old. Larry Ellison, founder and chairman of Oracle, announced Hurd’s passing on Friday.

“Mark was my close and irreplaceable friend, and trusted colleague,” Ellison said in a memo to Oracle employees that was posted on Mark Hurd’s personal website. “Oracle has lost a brilliant and beloved leader who personally touched the lives of so many of us during his decade at Oracle. All of us will miss Mark’s keen mind and rare ability to analyze, simplify and solve problems quickly.”

Due to health concerns, Hurd has been absent from Oracle (ORCL) for the past month. In a memo to the staff, he explained his decision: “I’ve decided to devote more time to my health.” He has been the company’s CEO and a member of the board of directors since 2014. He shared the position of chief executive officer with Safra Catz. After Hurd departed, Ellison assumed his responsibilities.

Hurd began working for Oracle one month after resigning as CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 2010 due to sexual harassment allegations. According to HP’s lawsuit, he concealed from the board his “personal relationship” with marketing consultant and actress Jodie Fisher.

Ellison, CEO of Oracle, publicly criticised HP’s decision to terminate Hurd in 2010, labelling it “the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago.” Then he appointed Hurd as president and promoted Safra Catz to vice president.

” In response to the allegations, HP (HPQ) stated in a regulatory filing that an independent investigation determined there was no violation of HP (HPQ)’s sexual harassment policy, but did find violations of HP (HPQ)’s Standards of Business Conduct.Hurd acknowledged, according to an HP (HPQ) press release, that “there were times when I did not live up to the standards and principles of trust, respect, and integrity that I have advocated at HP (HPQ).“

Hurd departed HP with $12 million in cash and a significant number of his stock options had already been exercised.

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The Approach To Oracle

Oracle is a significant rival of HP, and the two companies have a lengthy history of legal disputes and general animosity. The selection of Hurd sparked controversy within the technology sector. HP did not make it easy for Hurd to transfer; in fact, the company sued Oracle to prevent Hurd from switching.

After Hurd departed the company in 2010, HP filed documents alleging that he endangered the firm’s “most valuable trade secrets and confidential information.” Oracle required a seasoned sales professional due to increased competition from cloud computing titans such as Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Google (GOOGL). Consequently, the Oracle database and middleware suites appeared especially antiquated.

Since Hurd joined the company, Oracle has made significant progress catching up to the competition in cloud computing. He also foresaw the industry’s migration to the cloud by launching a programme to employ new college graduates as Oracle salespeople.

According to his website, Hurd was born on the Upper East Side of New York City in 1957. His senior year of secondary school was spent in Miami, Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in marketing management from Baylor University in Texas, where he also played tennis and served as president of his fraternity.

The CEO of NCR, an ATM manufacturer, began his career in 1980 as a menial salesman. After years of diligent work, he was promoted to CEO in 2003. He succeeded Carly Fiorina as CEO of HP in 2005. The following year after joining Oracle in 2010, he was appointed CEO.

In addition to overseeing the company’s finances, legal matters, and daily operations, Catz was in command of Oracle’s product sales and marketing. Hurd and Paula had been married for nearly thirty years. Paula was an executive at NCR, where he worked as well. They lived in the Bay Area with their two daughters.