What just happened? Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd has died just over a month after taking a leave of absence due to medical reasons. The company confirmed Hurd's death with several media outlets but has not put out an official statement as of this writing. He was 62.
Oracle on September 11, 2019, said Hurd was taking a leave of absence to address health related issues but didn't specify what exactly was wrong. Larry Ellison, Oracle's founder, executive chairman and chief technology officer, as well as co-CEO Safra Catz, have handled Hurd's responsibilities since he stepped out.
Hurd joined Oracle in 2010 following a 25-year run at NCR Corporation and a five-year stint at Hewlett-Packard. He was even reportedly considered for the CEO position at Microsoft during the Redmond company's search alongside other candidates like Ford chief Allan Mulally before it ultimately decided on Satya Nadella.
He was named co-CEO alongside Catz in 2014 after Ellison relinquished the position. While a co-CEO structure is somewhat rare, it's not entirely uncommon in the business world. Salesforce has a similar management arrangement in place.
In e-mail to employees obtained by CNBC, Ellison said Oracle lost a brilliant and beloved leader who personally touched the lives of so many people during his decade with the company. "Mark was my close and irreplaceable friend, and trusted colleague," Ellison added.
Masthead credit: Mark Hurd by drserg