Oracle co-chief Mark Hurd passes away

Oracle CEO Mark Hurd has died at the age of 62.

In an email obtained by CNBC, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison told employees: “We have 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 analyse, simplify, and solve problems quickly. Some of us will miss his friendship and mentorship. I will miss his kindness and sense of humour.”

Hurd announced a leave of absence from Oracle in September due to unspecified health reasons. “At my request, the Board of Directors has granted me a medical leave of absence,” he said. “As you all know, Larry, Safra Catz (co-CEO) and I have worked together as a strong team, and I have great confidence that they and the entire executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we will showcase at the upcoming OpenWorld. I love Oracle and wish you all success during my absence.”

Hurd joined the tech giant in 2010, making the leap from Hewlett-Packard, where he helped return the company to growth after it experienced trouble times under the leadership of Carly Fiorina. He was forced out as HP’s Chief Executive following alleged breaches of its code of conduct, from which he was later cleared. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive at NCR, spending 25 years at the cash machines and check-out terminals specialist.

“Incredibly sad news. Mark was always a professional, willing to take on any challenge, and was a real asset to both Oracle and the tech industry. I always enjoyed our conversations, and he will be missed by many. R.I.P. Mark,” Brendan Witcher, VP/Principal Analyst, Digital Business Strategy at Forrester, said in a LinkedIn post.