As co-president at Oracle Corp., ousted Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd will have to adapt to a new role playing second fiddle to one of Silicon Valley's most domineering bosses —Larry Ellison.
Although the two men have been pals for several years, working together may test their friendship given that they have both been accustomed to being the top dog. Ellison, in particular, has never left any doubt who's calling the shots at the business software juggernaut that he co-founded 33 years ago.
"Larry is well-known for his strong personality, and there is always a possibility of a personality clash with Hurd," said Kaushik Roy, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. "Friendships are not permanent — especially not in business."
In a high-profile power struggle a decade ago, Ellison ousted a president, Ray Lane, who had played an instrumental role in rebuilding Oracle's sales force after an accounting scandal. Lane resigned after Ellison tightened his grip on the company and stripped Lane of many of his responsibilities. Many other executives have left Oracle after falling out with Ellison or realizing that he would never loosen his reins of power. LINK
Posts
