The character arc of Safra Catz

A life drawn by Character Arc from the public record

Born in December 1961 in Holon, Israel. Between then and now sit a Wharton degree in 1983, a law degree in 1986, investment banking from 1986, a managing directorship from February 1997, Oracle joined in April 1999, the board in October 2001, the presidency in early 2004, the PeopleSoft takeover in 2005, the co-presidency and finance job in April 2011, the joint chief executive role in September 2014 and the sole one in 2019. The line below draws the story so far, in order.

Tap the line to pluck it. Hover or tap any mark for its card. Drawn from the public record of her life; the sources are at the foot of the page.

Who is Safra Catz?

She joined as a vice president.

She was born in Holon, Israel in December 1961. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1986. She held investment banking positions from 1986, was a senior vice president at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette from January 1994 and a managing director there from February 1997 to March 1999.

In April 1999 she joined Oracle as a senior vice president. That is a substantial job and it is a long way below the top, and the rest of the line is the distance between the two. She became a member of the board in October 2001 and president in early 2004, and is credited with driving the company's 2005 effort to acquire its software rival PeopleSoft in a 10.3 billion dollar takeover.

She served as chief financial officer temporarily from November 2005 to September 2008, and again from April 2011, when she was named co-president and chief financial officer reporting to the founder Larry Ellison. In September 2014 Oracle announced that Ellison would step down as chief executive and that she and Mark Hurd had been named joint chief executives. She became the sole chief executive in 2019 after Hurd resigned on health grounds, and Oracle confirmed the arrangement in December 2019 following his death. She is now executive vice chair. She was ranked twelfth most powerful woman in business by Fortune in 2009 and seventeenth by Forbes in 2023.

The moments

Safra Catz's timeline.

The 1980s

Jun 1983

Wharton

Milestone, and it changed her direction. Holon to Philadelphia, and a business degree.

Jun 1986

A law degree

Milestone, and it changed her direction. A law degree, and a banking job in the same year.

The 1990s

Feb 1997

Managing director

Milestone, and it changed her direction. Managing director, at thirty five.

1 Jan 1999

Leave banking for a software company

Crossroads, decided.

The paths laid out: take the Oracle job, taken, or stay a managing director. She became president of Oracle in early 2004 and its sole chief executive in 2019.

Apr 1999

She joined Oracle

Milestone, and it changed everything. A senior vice president, which is a long way from the top.

The 2000s

Oct 2001

A seat on the board

Milestone, and it changed her direction. On the board within three years of arriving.

Mar 2004

President

Milestone, and it changed everything. President, five years after walking in.

Jun 2005

The PeopleSoft takeover

Milestone, and it changed everything. Ten point three billion dollars, for the biggest rival.

Nov 2005

The finance job as well

Milestone, and it changed her direction. Two jobs at once, the second one temporary for three years.

The 2010s

Apr 2011

Co-president and finance

Milestone, and it changed everything. Co-president and chief financial officer, at the same time.

18 Sep 2014

Joint chief executive

Milestone, and it changed everything. The founder stepped down and handed it to two people.

Sep 2019

Sole chief executive

Milestone, and it changed everything. The job on her own, twenty years after joining as a vice president.

The 2020s

Jun 2023

Seventeenth in the world

Milestone. Still on the list fourteen years after the first time.

The line reaches today still adding to itself, which is why it is drawn now rather than at the end. What it has set moving is the least dramatic shape there is and the hardest to keep up: one company, one rung at a time, for a quarter of a century.

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Safra Catz: frequently asked questions

What people ask about her line.

What is Safra Catz's character arc?

Two degrees at Pennsylvania, thirteen years in investment banking, and then one company. She joined Oracle as a senior vice president in April 1999, became president in early 2004, joint chief executive in September 2014 and sole chief executive in 2019.

When did Safra Catz become CEO of Oracle?

In September 2014, jointly with Mark Hurd, when the founder Larry Ellison stepped down from the role. She became the sole chief executive in September 2019 after Hurd resigned on health grounds, and Oracle confirmed it in December 2019.

What did Safra Catz do before Oracle?

She worked in investment banking from 1986, and at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette was a senior vice president from January 1994 and a managing director from February 1997 to March 1999. She joined Oracle in April 1999.

Did Safra Catz lead the PeopleSoft takeover?

She is credited with having driven Oracle's 2005 efforts to acquire its software rival PeopleSoft in a 10.3 billion dollar takeover. It is the deal most often named when people describe what she did in her first years as president.

Where did Safra Catz study?

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she took a bachelor's degree in 1983, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she took a Juris Doctor in 1986. She was born in Holon, Israel in December 1961.

Has Safra Catz been Oracle's finance chief?

Yes, twice. She served as chief financial officer temporarily from November 2005 to September 2008, and again from April 2011, when she was also named co-president reporting to the founder Larry Ellison.

Where does this timeline of Safra Catz's life come from?

From the public record. Character Arc drew every moment on this line from the sources listed at the foot of the page, and the kind and weight of each moment are our editorial reading. Safra Catz isn't a Member of Character Arc and has no connection with it, and no feeling is attributed to her.

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Sources

Safra Catz, English Wikipedia biography, filed under living people.
Oracle Corporation announcements of September 2014 and December 2019.
Wharton School and University of Pennsylvania Law School degree records, 1983 and 1986.