Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd dies, aged 62

Mark Hurd, who with co-CEO Safra Catz led Oracle for the past five years, has passed away.

He had stepped away from the company last month for health reasons, telling employees, "Though we all worked hard together to close the first quarter, I've decided that I need to spend time focused on my health."

Hurd led Oracle from 2014, joining from HP, where he was CEO between 2005 and 2010. In that time the company's share price more than doubled, but he was also involved in several controversies: one in 2006 around information leaks to the media, and another around inaccurate expense reports meant to conceal his relationship with an outside contractor, Jodie Fisher, shortly before his departure.

Larry Ellison, Oracle's founder, defended Hurd at the time, calling HP's board "idiots". He hired Hurd as a president of the firm shortly afterwards, and promoted him to joint CEO four years later. Ellison then stepped down to become CTO.

At the announcement of Hurd's passing, Ellison wrote a message on Hurd's personal website:

"It is with a profound sense of sadness and loss that I tell everyone here at Oracle that Mark Hurd passed away early this morning. Mark was my close and irreplaceable friend, and trusted colleague. Oracle has 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 analyze, simplify and solve problems quickly. Some of us will miss his friendship and mentorship. I will miss his kindness and sense of humor.

"Mark leaves his beloved wife Paula, two wonderful daughters who were the joy of his life, and his much larger extended family here at Oracle who came to love him. I know that many of us are inconsolable right now, but we are left with memories and a sense of gratitude…that we had the opportunity to get know Mark, the opportunity to work with him…and become his friend."

Hurd was born on the 1st January 1957 in New York, graduating from university in 1979 with a degree in business administration. He worked for NCR (formerly National Cash Register) from 1980 before becoming CEO in 2003, and two years later moved to HP.

When Hurd stepped down, Oracle confirmed that it would seek to retain its co-CEO structure.