Safra Catz and John Stankey reached the top of two major technology companies through very different routes. Catz came to Oracle from technology-focused investment banking. She rose through finance, deals, and senior management before becoming CEO. Stankey spent more than 40 years inside AT&T, moving through technology, operations, strategy, and media before he became CEO and, later, chairman.
Their roles today are different too. Catz left the CEO job in September 2025 and is now Oracle’s Executive Vice Chair, while Stankey is still AT&T’s Chairman and CEO. Their companies also share a less obvious link. AT&T is an Oracle technology customer, and Oracle has built AT&T connectivity into parts of its enterprise communications platform.
This article follows both careers, shows where each executive stands in 2026, and explains what actually connects the two companies.
Information in this article is current through October 3, 2026. AT&T’s latest reported quarter is Q2 2026, and its Q3 results are scheduled for October 21, 2026.
Who Are Safra Catz and John Stankey?
Safra Catz is a longtime Oracle executive and its former CEO. She joined Oracle in 1999 and held senior roles, including president and chief financial officer, before she became CEO in 2014. In September 2025, she stepped down as CEO and became Executive Vice Chair of Oracle’s Board.
John Stankey is the Chairman, President, and CEO of AT&T. He joined the company in 1985 and worked in many parts of the business. Before he became CEO in 2020, he held senior jobs in technology, operations, strategy, business services, entertainment, and WarnerMedia.
| Career point | Safra Catz | John Stankey |
|---|---|---|
| Main company | Oracle | AT&T |
| Joined company | 1999 | 1985 |
| Early career base | Investment banking | Technology and operations at AT&T |
| CEO period | 2014 to 2025 | 2020 to present |
| Role in 2026 | Executive Vice Chair | Chairman and CEO |
| Main route to the top | Finance, deals, executive leadership | Technology, operations, strategy, media |
Catz climbed through the financial and deal-making side of Oracle, while Stankey came up through AT&T’s operating and technology ranks.
Safra Catz’s Path to the Top of Oracle
From Wharton and Penn Law to Investment Banking
Catz studied at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned an undergraduate degree from Wharton and a law degree from Penn Law. Before Oracle, she worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where she became a managing director in technology-focused investment banking.
Catz did not arrive at Oracle as an engineer. She arrived through finance, deals, and technology investing, and that background shaped how she worked at Oracle for the next two decades.
Joining Oracle in 1999
Catz joined Oracle in April 1999 as a senior vice president. Her rise inside the company was quick. She joined Oracle’s board in 2001, became president in 2004, and added the chief financial officer role in 2005.
Those years put her close to Oracle’s biggest business decisions. The company was buying other software firms and growing its enterprise business, and the president and CFO jobs sat at the center of that work.
Oracle’s Acquisition Era
Catz’s career is closely tied to Oracle’s long run of acquisitions. Stanford course material links her leadership to more than 100 of them, including PeopleSoft, Siebel, and Sun Microsystems. She did not make these deals alone, but her senior tenure matched Oracle’s buying spree, and she was often a key financial and executive voice on major deals.
PeopleSoft was one of the biggest enterprise software deals of that era, and Wharton’s profile connects Catz to it directly. In 2009, Oracle announced its purchase of Sun Microsystems for about $7.4 billion. Oracle’s announcement included a comment from Catz on what the deal would add to Oracle’s financial results.
In 2016, Oracle agreed to buy NetSuite for about $9.3 billion, and Catz spoke about its effect on earnings. In 2021, Oracle announced it would acquire Cerner, and Catz tied the deal to Oracle’s plans for growth in health care. Taken together, these deals show that much of her career was built around finance, acquisitions, and the business side of technology.
Becoming CEO in 2014
In 2014, Oracle’s board named Catz and Mark Hurd as co-CEOs. Larry Ellison became Executive Chairman and chief technology officer. The choice fit her record, since she had already spent years as president and CFO.
After Hurd’s departure in 2019, Catz became Oracle’s sole CEO. She held the job until September 2025. Her path to the top was not a straight climb up the CEO ladder. It moved from finance and deals into operating control of one of the world’s largest software companies.
From Sole CEO to Executive Vice Chair in 2025
On September 22, 2025, Oracle announced a new leadership structure. Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia became co-CEOs, and Catz became Executive Vice Chair of the Oracle Board of Directors. Oracle’s later filings confirm that she retired from her CEO and principal financial officer duties on that date.
So a search for Safra Catz Oracle needs a careful answer. She was Oracle’s CEO for more than a decade, but she is not its CEO today.
John Stankey’s Path to the Top of AT&T
Finance Degree and AT&T Entry in 1985
Stankey earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from UCLA. He joined AT&T in 1985. Unlike Catz, he did not start in banking and move into a company later. He built his whole career at AT&T, across many units.
CIO and CTO Years
According to AT&T’s official biography, Stankey served as chief information officer from 2003 to 2004 and chief technology officer from 2004 to 2006. In these jobs, he was responsible for the systems and technology that kept a very large telecom company running. That technical base is one of the biggest differences between his path and Catz’s.
Chief Strategy Officer and Business Leadership
From 2008 to 2010, Stankey was president and CEO of AT&T Operations. He also served as president and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions from 2010 to 2011. He later served as chief strategy officer from 2012 to 2015, and then became CEO of the AT&T Entertainment Group, a role he held from 2015 to 2017. Together, these roles gave him a view of the company from the network, the corporate customer, and the consumer side.
His career breadth is the key feature of his story. He moved from technology to strategy, then to business operations, then to entertainment, and finally to running the whole company.
WarnerMedia and the Media Chapter
Stankey became CEO of WarnerMedia in 2018 and held the role until 2020. In that job, he led AT&T’s media business, which covered content, entertainment, and well-known brands. AT&T’s board biography confirms the role, and the job took him well beyond telecom.
Stankey ran WarnerMedia as a unit of AT&T. He has not been CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is a separate company today.
Becoming AT&T CEO in 2020
Stankey later became AT&T’s president and chief operating officer. In July 2020, he became CEO and president. That made him the leader of a company where he had spent more than three decades.
Chairman and CEO in 2025
In February 2025, Stankey also became chairman of AT&T’s board. He now holds both the top operating job and the top board job. Catz moved from the CEO role to Executive Vice Chair of Oracle’s Board, while Stankey remains AT&T’s Chairman, President, and CEO.
Safra Catz vs. John Stankey: Two Very Different Career Paths
The biggest difference is how each executive built a leadership career. Catz joined Oracle in 1999 after working in investment banking. She rose through finance, the president’s job, and deal-heavy executive roles. By the time she became CEO, she had spent years close to Oracle’s strategy and its largest transactions.
Stankey joined AT&T in 1985 and stayed for more than 40 years. He moved through technology, operations, strategy, business services, and media. By the time he became CEO, he had run several of AT&T’s biggest units.
| Dimension | Safra Catz | John Stankey |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Investment banking | AT&T |
| Major company entry | Oracle, 1999 | AT&T, 1985 |
| Core early skills | Finance, M&A, technology | Technology, operations |
| How the company grew | Acquisitions, enterprise software, cloud | Telecom, operations, media, then fiber and wireless |
| Route to CEO | President and CFO, then co-CEO, then sole CEO | CIO and CTO, then operations, strategy, media, president and COO, then CEO |
| CEO period | 2014 to 2025 | 2020 to present |
| Role in 2026 | Executive Vice Chair | Chairman and CEO |
Catz’s route was built on financial control and deals inside a software company. Stankey’s was built on learning a huge telecom company from the inside.
What Oracle and AT&T Look Like in 2026
Oracle’s Cloud and AI Infrastructure Growth
Oracle is a very different company from the one Catz joined in 1999. Cloud infrastructure is now one of its fastest-growing areas, and AI is driving demand for large data centers. Oracle’s latest reported quarter is Q1 of fiscal 2027, released on September 10, 2026.
Total revenue was $19.3 billion, up 30%. Total cloud revenue reached $11.6 billion, up 62%, and cloud infrastructure revenue was $7.4 billion, up 121%. Cloud applications revenue grew more slowly, reaching $4.2 billion, up 10%. Oracle also reported $664 billion in remaining performance obligations, which is the value of contracted business still to be delivered. In the same quarter, it delivered another 850 megawatts of data center capacity.
For comparison, Oracle ended fiscal 2026 with $67.4 billion in annual revenue and $34.0 billion in cloud revenue. Oracle’s executive leadership is now shared by co-CEOs Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia, with Catz serving as Executive Vice Chair.
AT&T’s Fiber, 5G and Connectivity Strategy
AT&T’s strategy under Stankey now centers on connectivity. That means fiber internet, 5G wireless, fixed wireless service, and the networks behind them. AT&T’s 2025 annual report says the company invested more than $150 billion in its wireless and wireline networks from 2021 through 2025.
In Q2 2026, AT&T reported revenue of $31.6 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $12.3 billion, and free cash flow of $4.7 billion. It added more than 1 million Advanced Connectivity customers and 432,000 postpaid phone customers. It also posted record combined net additions for fiber and fixed wireless, and its strongest consumer postpaid wireless account growth in more than three years.
Two deals show the direction. In February 2026, AT&T completed its purchase of Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber business for $5.75 billion in cash. The deal added more than 1 million fiber subscribers and more than 4 million fiber locations in new major metro areas, and it expanded AT&T’s fiber reach to 32 states. In July 2026, AT&T closed a roughly $23 billion deal for EchoStar wireless spectrum licenses. That added about 50 MHz of spectrum nationwide, including 30 MHz of 3.45 GHz mid-band and 20 MHz of 600 MHz low-band.
At a Goldman Sachs conference in September 2026, Stankey updated the company’s multi-year growth plan. AT&T presented its fiber and 5G investment as a lasting advantage in connectivity. His current role centers on AT&T’s fiber, wireless, and connectivity strategy.
The Overlooked Connection Between Oracle and AT&T
Oracle and AT&T are not just two unrelated companies run by experienced executives. They have a documented technology relationship that runs in both directions.
AT&T Uses Oracle Cloud and Enterprise Software
According to Oracle’s customer case study, AT&T has been an Oracle customer since 2000. It uses Oracle Cloud ERP and EPM, which handle financial management and planning. It also uses Oracle Field Service. AT&T has moved thousands of databases to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and Oracle’s documentation says it earlier moved mission-critical databases to Oracle Cloud at Customer.
Oracle Integrates AT&T Network and IoT Connectivity
The link also runs the other way. In 2024, Oracle announced that AT&T IoT connectivity and network APIs were integrated into its Enterprise Communications Platform. Oracle also described FirstNet, built with AT&T, as a connectivity foundation for its Public Safety Suite. Oracle’s 2026 documentation for the platform still lists AT&T as a supported mobile connectivity provider.
Does That Mean Catz and Stankey Personally Work Together?
No. These ties show a relationship between two companies, not a partnership between two executives. I found no reliable public source showing that Catz and Stankey worked together or ran a joint project. Their documented careers sit at Oracle and AT&T, and the technology link comes from the companies themselves.
Where Safra Catz and John Stankey Stand Now
Safra Catz in 2026
Catz is Executive Vice Chair of Oracle’s Board of Directors, a board-level position rather than a day-to-day CEO job. She is also a director of Paramount Skydance, where Paramount’s 2026 filings show she was elected in July 2026. Oracle also lists her as a trustee of In-Q-Tel, so she remains active in large technology and corporate organizations.
John Stankey in 2026
Stankey is still Chairman and CEO of AT&T. His current work centers on fiber, 5G, advanced connectivity, and the network growth described above. He holds the top operating role at the company he joined in 1985.
Are Safra Catz and John Stankey Related?
I found no reliable public source showing that Safra Catz and John Stankey are relatives, business partners, or former colleagues at the same company. What the record does show is a link between their companies. Oracle sells database, cloud, and enterprise software, and AT&T supplies connectivity and also buys Oracle technology. That overlap explains why the two names appear together far better than any personal tie does.
What the Careers of Safra Catz and John Stankey Show
The story of Safra Catz and John Stankey is about two ways of reaching the top of a large technology company. Catz entered Oracle from investment banking, led it through years of acquisitions, and became CEO in 2014. She stepped down in 2025 and now serves as Executive Vice Chair. Stankey joined AT&T in 1985, worked across its technology, operations, strategy, and media units, and became CEO in 2020 and chairman in 2025.
Their companies are heading in different directions as well. Oracle is pushing into cloud infrastructure and AI capacity, while AT&T is putting its money into fiber, wireless, and 5G. The one real link between them is commercial, since AT&T uses Oracle technology and Oracle uses AT&T connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Safra Catz still CEO of Oracle?
No. Catz stepped down as Oracle CEO in September 2025 and became Executive Vice Chair of the Board. Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia are Oracle’s co-CEOs.
What is Safra Catz’s current role?
Catz is Executive Vice Chair of Oracle’s Board. She is also a director of Paramount Skydance and a trustee of In-Q-Tel.
Is John Stankey still CEO of AT&T?
Yes. Stankey has been AT&T’s CEO and president since July 2020 and became chairman in February 2025.
How did Safra Catz become Oracle CEO?
Catz joined Oracle in 1999 after working in investment banking. She became a board member in 2001, president in 2004, and chief financial officer in 2005. In 2014, Oracle’s board named her co-CEO with Mark Hurd, and she became sole CEO after Hurd’s departure in 2019.
How long has John Stankey worked at AT&T?
Stankey joined AT&T in 1985, so he has worked there for more than 40 years. During that time, he held roles in technology, strategy, operations, business services, entertainment, and media.
What connects Oracle and AT&T?
AT&T has used Oracle products since 2000, including Oracle Cloud ERP, EPM, and Field Service. It has also moved thousands of databases to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Oracle, in turn, integrates AT&T IoT connectivity and network APIs into its Enterprise Communications Platform.
What is Safra Catz’s compensation?
Oracle’s 2026 proxy lists Catz’s total reported compensation for fiscal 2026 at $256.97 million. That is an accounting figure from a major leadership-transition year, and it is not a measure of her net worth.
What is John Stankey’s compensation?
AT&T’s 2026 proxy disclosed total 2025 compensation of $29.9 million for Stankey. Like Catz’s figure, it shows pay and not personal wealth.
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Hi, I’m Sophia Turner, a content writer who focuses on celebrity biographies, net worth information, and entertainment topics. I enjoy researching public figures and using reliable sources to make complex or unfamiliar information easy to understand.
My goal is to create clear and useful articles about celebrities, including their careers, achievements, backgrounds, and public work. I also follow entertainment news and trends to keep the content relevant and interesting for readers.