Oracle Founder and Chairman Larry Ellison confirmed Hurd's death Friday.
"Mark was my close and irreplaceable friend, and trusted colleague," Ellison said in a memo to Oracle employees that was posted on Mark Hurd's personal website. "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."
Hurd took a leave of absence from Oracle (ORCL) a month ago for unspecified medical reasons, saying in a message to employees at the time that he decided that he needed to spend time focused on his health. He had been a chief executive and board director at the company since 2014. He served alongside Safra Catz, who also has the title of CEO. Ellison took over Hurd's responsibilities when he left.
Hurd was born in 1957 in New York City, on the Upper East Side, according to his personal website. He then moved to Miami for high school. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in marketing management in 1979 from Baylor University in Texas, where he played tennis and was president of a fraternity.
His career began in 1980 at ATM company NCR as a junior salesman, working his way up to become CEO in 2003. He became HP's CEO in 2005, replacing ousted CEO Carly Fiorina. Following his jump to Oracle in 2010, he was then promoted to CEO in 2014. He oversaw how Oracle would sell and market products, while Catz handled finance, legal and operations.