Milestones

HIRED

Software giant Oracle pulled off a Silicon Valley coup on Sept. 6 when it named Mark Hurd--the former chief executive of rival Hewlett-Packard--co-president. The following day, HP filed a lawsuit against Hurd, saying the appointment would put its "most valuable trade secrets and confidential information in peril." In June, Hurd became embroiled in a scandal involving Jodie Fisher, a marketing contractor, actress and former Playboy model who accused Hurd of sexual harassment. While HP could not substantiate Fisher's claims, Hurd allegedly attempted to hide a relationship with Fisher by manipulating expenses, a move that led to his resignation. Larry Ellison, Oracle's chief executive, backed Hurd throughout the scandal and last month criticized HP's decision to force him out, saying, "It was the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago." Hurd replaces Oracle's Charles Phillips, who was caught up in a scandal of his own earlier this year when his mistress of more than eight years outed their relationship on billboards in Times Square, Atlanta and San Francisco.