Oracle promotes new co-CEOs at upcoming user conference, omits Ellison

Oracle’s upcoming user conference in October will spotlight co-CEOs Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as the public faces of the company’s AI push. Conspicuously absent from the program: Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder who spent decades as Oracle’s most recognizable figure.

The move completes a leadership transition that began in September 2025, when Magouyrk and Sicilia were elevated to the co-CEO roles, succeeding Safra Catz.

The new guard takes the stage

Magouyrk and Sicilia were named co-CEOs on September 22, 2025, each inheriting a distinct piece of Oracle’s business. Magouyrk oversees cloud infrastructure, including the AI workloads that have become Oracle’s most compelling growth story. His portfolio includes the relationship with OpenAI, one of the most closely watched partnerships in enterprise tech.

Sicilia, meanwhile, runs the development of industry-specific applications and vertical AI solutions. Think healthcare, financial services, and other sectors where Oracle has long maintained deep enterprise relationships but now wants to layer on AI capabilities.

Catz, who led Oracle as sole CEO for years, transitioned to executive vice chair of the board.

Ellison’s quiet fade

Larry Ellison hasn’t vanished. He retains the titles of executive chairman and CTO, positions that theoretically keep him involved in Oracle’s strategic and technical direction. But his visibility has dropped sharply.

Ellison has been absent from Oracle’s earnings calls throughout 2026. His omission from the user conference program suggests this isn’t a temporary scheduling conflict but a more permanent shift in how Oracle presents itself to the world.

Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977. He served as CEO until 2014, when Catz and the late Mark Hurd took over as co-CEOs.

AI as the centerpiece

The leadership change is inseparable from Oracle’s strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company has reported significant AI-related growth, positioning its cloud services as critical plumbing for enterprises racing to deploy AI workloads.

During a Q1 earnings call in September 2026, Magouyrk discussed challenges with data center construction, specifically noting delays at a site in New Mexico that has been pushed back to February 2027.

The partnership with OpenAI gives Oracle a high-profile reference customer that few competitors can match.

What investors should watch

A dual-CEO arrangement carries its own risks. Oracle’s version at least has the advantage of clear role delineation: Magouyrk handles infrastructure, Sicilia handles applications.

The data center delays Magouyrk flagged are worth monitoring closely. A February 2027 completion date for the New Mexico site gives the market a concrete milestone to track.

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