Those who are excited to see Mark Hurd replace Charles Phillips at Oracle
Phillips and Catz have been the yin to CEO Larry Ellison's yang, helping Oracle's business grow to challenge not only Microsoft
Contrast this company with the one that languished when Ellison drove out former company president Ray Lane, now a venture capitalist with Silicon Valley firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers. Or the one that drove Marc Benioff to leave to create salesforce.com
Who made sure the purchased companies added value to the bottom line? Phillips and Catz did, along with thousands of unheralded employees who proved outstanding at executing Ellison's vision.
In the end, investing is about studying the mosaic, rather than the moment. Oracle looks good today, because Hurd is an undisputed talent with experience Oracle badly needs. Yet Phillips, too, was an asset. I'll miss the reliable quiet he brought to the job.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Do you think Hurd gives Oracle an unfair advantage? Let the debate begin in the comments box below.