Safra Catz is the Chief Executive Officer of the software company Oracle and one of the most influential women in the world today.
She ranks among the 61 self-made billionaire women — one of the few emblematic cases globally — and is a member of Chi Omega, a women’s fraternity organization.
Recently, Forbes included her in its definitive list of the world’s richest people with a net worth of $1 billion.
However, she owns less than 1% of Oracle Corporation; her granted options, which make up most of her wealth, have propelled her into the top 1%.
Catz, known for her tough and determined personality, has succeeded in maintaining Oracle’s reputation as a global player despite fierce competition from Microsoft, Intel, and Amazon.
She is also one of the highest-paid female CEOs in the world, earning an annual net salary of $40 million.
Early years: family background and education
On December 1, 1961, Safra Ada Catz opened her eyes for the first time as a newborn in Holon, Israel.
Her father was originally from Romania, and she was born to Jewish parents. Her mother was also a Holocaust survivor — the genocide that took place in Europe between 1941 and 1945, targeting European Jews.
Catz emigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of six and settled in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she completed her education.
She graduated from Brookline High School and went on to earn her undergraduate degree at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
She then attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1986. Catz was also a member of the Chi Omega fraternity, which described her as “a very driven young woman who works relentlessly to achieve her ambitions,” according to president Melanie Shain. Catz’s work ethic would prove extremely valuable throughout her career.
She began her career as a banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where she served as Managing Director from February 1997 to March 1999 and Senior Vice President from January 1994 to February 1997. She held various investment banking roles starting in 1986.
How she became Oracle’s CEO
Catz joined Oracle as Senior Vice President in 1999 after more than a decade in banking.
From the beginning, she showed a strong determination to improve Oracle’s financials. It took her less than two years to earn a spot on Oracle’s board and soon after, in 2004, she was also appointed Co-President.
She was recognized as the key person behind Oracle’s acquisition of technology company PeopleSoft in 2005 for $10.3 billion.
Previously known for her work in customer relationship management, human resource management, and financial management software, in 2005 Catz was appointed CFO of the company — a role she still holds today (though she stepped down from 2008 to 2011).
In the years that followed, she not only rose through the ranks at Oracle but also built a strong connection with Larry Ellison, the founder and former CEO of the company.
In fact, Ellison personally recommended Catz for inclusion on Oracle’s board of directors.
She soon became a regular figure on Forbes’ and Fortune’s lists of the most powerful women, holding one of the top positions at the company.
Catz and Mark Hurd were appointed Co-Presidents of the company when Ellison stepped down in 2014 to become Executive Chairman and CTO.
In addition to PeopleSoft, Catz was responsible for acquiring Hyperion Corporation for $3.3 billion in 2007, BEA Systems for $8.5 billion in 2008, Sun Microsystems for $7.4 billion in 2010, Acme Packet for $2.1 billion in 2013, MICROS Systems for $5.3 billion in 2014, and NetSuite for $9.3 billion in 2016.
Because NetSuite’s software services were previously used by 40,000 businesses in 100 countries, many consider it the largest acquisition in Oracle’s 44-year history.
The company also acquired Sun Microsystems and MICROS, with the former known for developing the Java programming language and Solaris operating system, and the latter providing enterprise solutions to over 330,000 businesses in 180 countries.
After Hurd’s death in 2019, Catz became Oracle’s sole CEO. She was already pursuing an intensive acquisition strategy as the company’s senior CFO — a strategy she continued after being named Co-President and ultimately CEO.
She has led more than 100 acquisitions since 2005, including three in the past three years. She maintains an autocratic leadership style, requiring staff to strictly follow corporate rules and procedures, while also fostering a culture of humility and accountability.
Facts about Safra Catz, Oracle’s CEO
- Fortune named her the 12th most powerful woman in business and the 16th most powerful businesswoman in 2009. She ranked 24th in 2014.
- According to Equilar, she was the highest-paid woman among the Fortune 1000 companies in 2011, earning an estimated total salary of $51,695,742.
- Catz teaches accounting at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
- She served on the board of HSBC from 2008 to 2015.
- Catz was one of several high-profile CEOs invited to meet with Donald Trump after his election, alongside Tim Cook, Sheryl Sandberg, and Jeff Bezos, to discuss potential roles in the new administration.
- According to Bloomberg, she was considered for the roles of U.S. Trade Representative and Director of National Intelligence.
- In April 2017, Catz was the highest-paid CEO of any U.S. corporation, receiving $40.9 million, following a 23% drop from 2016.
- In December 2017, she was elected to the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company and began serving in that role in February 2018.
- Catz made headlines in March 2021 for a stock transaction: she acquired 2.25 million shares through the conversion of derivatives and later sold them on the open market for nearly double the price.
Despite her stature as a renowned corporate leader, Catz prefers to remain out of the spotlight, rarely giving interviews and spending much of her free time with her husband Gal Tirosh and their two sons, Gary and Scott. Her media profile remains virtually nonexistent.