Hurd joins Oracle as co-president

Ex-HP CEO Hurd fills gap left by Oracle co-president Charles Phillips's resignation

Hurd snapped up by Oracle as co-president

Yesterday's rumours of talks between Mark Hurd, the former HP chief executive who resigned in a cloud of rumours and accusations, and Oracle have been proven true, with the ex-HP CEO today accepting the role of Oracle's co-president.

The vacancy was created yesterday after Charles Phillips resigned from the post.

Hurd, who is a close friend of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, will replace co-president Phillips and work alongside Oracle’s other co-president, Safra Catz.

It is possible that HP is now regretting its decision to oust scandal-hit Hurd last month, an action Oracle's Ellison described as “cowardly."

In a statement Ellison said: “Mark did a brilliant job at HP and I expect he’ll do an even better one at Oracle. There is no executive in the IT world with more relevant experience than Mark.”

Oracle co-president Safra Catz added: "Mark is an outstanding executive and a proven winner. I look forward to working with him for years to come. As Oracle continues to grow we need people experienced in operating a $100bn [£65bn] business. "

The combination of Hurd and Ellison could make Oracle a considerable force, and Hurd already has his sights set on IBM.

Hurd said: “I believe Oracle’s strategy of combining software with hardware will enable Oracle to beat IBM in both enterprise servers and storage.”

Hurd will be at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco on 19 September, where he will announce “some exciting new systems”.

The ex-HP CEO was jettisoned from HP’s board for irregular expense filings.