Safra Ada Catz is Oracle’s executive vice chair. John T. Stankey is AT&T’s chairman and CEO. Catz is best known for Oracle’s cloud rise. Stankey is best known for AT&T’s fiber pivot.
Both leaders shape American business in 2026. Their career paths look quite different. Their responsibilities often overlap in surprising ways. This guide covers their ages, careers, and net worth. You’ll also see how they lead today. Expect clear facts and simple explanations. Read on for the full picture.
Quick Facts: Safra Catz and John Stankey in 2026
| Detail | Safra Catz | John Stankey |
| Full name | Safra Ada Catz | John T. Stankey |
| Age | 64 (born December 1961) | Believed to be about 63 |
| Birthplace | Holon, Israel | Not publicly disclosed |
| Height | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Spouse | Gal Tirosh | Not publicly disclosed |
| Children | Two | Not publicly disclosed |
| Net worth | Estimated near $2.9 billion (Forbes, March 2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Profession | Executive vice chair of Oracle | Chairman and CEO of AT&T |
| Social handles | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
Who Is Safra Catz?
Safra Catz is Oracle’s executive vice chair. She served as CEO from 2014 to 2025. Catz was born in Holon, Israel, in December 1961. Her family later moved to the United States. In 2026, Catz is 64 years old. She turns 65 later this December. Oracle’s 2026 proxy statement lists her age as 64.
Reports describe her as private and focused on numbers. She rarely seeks the media spotlight. Instead, she lets Larry Ellison speak for the company. When she stepped aside, Ellison praised her work. He said, “Safra led Oracle as we became a hyperscale cloud powerhouse.”
Here are the basics:
- Role in 2026: Executive vice chair
- Board seat: Director since 2001
- Oracle tenure: Since April 1999
- Past titles: President, chief financial officer, and chief executive officer
Safra Catz’s Early Career and Finance Background
Catz began her career in finance, not software. Penn gave her both a bachelor’s and a law degree. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania. After school, she joined Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. She worked there as an investment banker from 1986. By 1997, she was a managing director.
That work built her skill in financial management. It also taught her how to read a deal. In April 1999, Larry Ellison recruited her to Oracle. Reports say she wanted less travel. Oracle’s margins had stalled and the company felt fragmented. Catz set out to centralize control.
Why her banking years mattered:
- Deal skill: She could judge a price fast.
- Cost control: She trimmed waste across teams.
- Trust: Ellison relied on her judgment.
How Safra Catz Built Her Career at Oracle
Catz rose from senior vice president to CEO. The climb took about fifteen years. Insiders called her Ellison’s enforcer and gatekeeper. She cut costs and pushed teams to work as one.
| Year | Milestone |
| 1999 | Joined Oracle as senior vice president |
| 2001 | Joined the board of directors |
| 2004 | Named president |
| 2011 | Became CFO and shared the president role |
| 2014 | Became joint CEO with Mark Hurd |
| 2019 | Became sole CEO after Hurd’s medical leave |
| 2025 | Became executive vice chair |
Mark Hurd joined her as a joint CEO in 2014. Hurd took medical leave in 2019. Catz then became the sole CEO. She led Oracle for more than a decade.
Oracle Acquisitions and Business Strategy
Catz grew Oracle through steady, disciplined corporate acquisitions. She bought rivals, absorbed them, and cut overlap. That playbook built a giant in enterprise software solutions. Oracle’s database management systems still anchor the business.
| Deal | Year | Why it mattered |
| PeopleSoft | 2005 | Added HR and finance software |
| Siebel | 2006 | Strengthened customer software |
| Hyperion | 2007 | Added financial reporting tools |
| Sun Microsystems | 2010 | Brought hardware and Java |
| NetSuite | 2016 | Opened a cloud business software line |
| Cerner | 2022 | Moved Oracle deeper into health care |
Deal years are approximate. Values ranged from billions to roughly $28 billion for Cerner.
Case Study: Oracle’s Late Cloud Bet
Oracle started late in cloud computing services. Catz and Ellison bet on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) anyway. In June 2024, OpenAI added Oracle capacity to its Azure setup. By March 2025, OCI reportedly passed 100 cloud regions. That scale made Oracle a key player in generative AI infrastructure.
The lesson is simple. Late movers can still win with focus. Catz paired financial discipline with bold spending. That mix defines her business transformation story.
From Oracle CEO to Executive Vice Chair
In September 2025, Catz stepped down as CEO. Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia became Oracle’s new chief executives. Magouyrk led OCI for nearly twelve years. He came to Oracle from AWS. Sicilia arrived through the 2008 Primavera deal. He ran Oracle Industries before the promotion.
Catz moved to the board of directors. Larry Ellison stayed on as chairman and chief technology officer. Hilary Maxson became chief financial officer in April 2026. This CEO succession kept Oracle’s leadership close to its growth engines.
Her pay also drew attention. Her fiscal 2026 pay reportedly reached $10.1 million. In 2022, her pay reportedly hit $138 million. Reportedly, she joined a presidential science council in 2026. Confirm any new role through official announcements.
Who Is John Stankey?
John Stankey is AT&T’s chairman, CEO, and president. He has led the company since July 2020. Stankey joined AT&T in January 1985. He has spent four decades building his career there.
He is believed to be about 63 years old. He was 57 when AT&T named him CEO. He holds a finance degree from Loyola Marymount University. He also earned an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He reportedly sits on the UPS board of directors.
In 2020 he said, “I’m honored to be elected the next CEO of AT&T.”
John Stankey’s Long Career Across AT&T
Stankey held nearly every major role at AT&T. He moved through technology, operations, strategy, and media.
| Years | Role |
| 1985 to 2012 | Various leadership roles, including technology and business units |
| 2012 to 2015 | Chief strategy officer |
| 2015 to 2018 | CEO, AT&T Entertainment Group |
| 2018 to 2019 | CEO, WarnerMedia |
| October 2019 | President and chief operating officer |
| July 2020 | Chief executive officer |
| February 2025 | Chairman of the board |
That range matters. He knows networks, customers, and media. Few executives see that much of one company.
John Stankey’s Climb Through AT&T
Each role gave Stankey a bigger and harder test. He moved from operations to strategy. Then he ran entertainment and media. Each step added scope and pressure. By 2019, he was the clear successor.
From Technology Executive to AT&T CEO
Stankey became CEO on July 1, 2020. He succeeded Randall Stephenson, who led for 13 years. Reuters reported a debt pile near $147.5 billion. Cutting that debt became a top task.
In February 2025, the board elected him chairman. He succeeded William Kennard, now lead independent director. That move combined the CEO and chair roles. Some investors watch corporate governance in such cases. AT&T kept a lead independent director for balance.
AT&T and the Shift Away From DirecTV
Case Study: The DirecTV Divestiture
AT&T bought DirecTV in 2015. The price reached about $67 billion with debt. Stankey later reversed that media push. Here is how it unfolded:
- 2021: AT&T sold 30 percent of DirecTV to TPG Capital at a $16.25 billion value.
- 2021: AT&T agreed to spin WarnerMedia into a deal with Discovery.
- 2024: AT&T agreed to sell its remaining 70 percent for $7.6 billion.
- 2025: The sale closed, and AT&T exited video.
AT&T said earlier TPG cash payments reached $19 billion. That DirecTV divestiture ended AT&T’s video era. The company shifted money to fiber and 5G. The lesson is clear. Smart leaders admit when a big bet fails.
What Stankey Changed Inside AT&T
Stankey turned AT&T into a focused connectivity company. His team narrowed the mission and funded it heavily.
| Area | 2026 snapshot |
| Revenue | More than $125 billion in 2025 |
| Fiber | More than 30 million locations in 2025 |
| Fiber goal | 60 million locations by 2030 |
| Lumen deal | $5.75 billion, closed February 2026 |
| Spectrum | About $23 billion EchoStar purchase |
| Customers | More than 100 million mobile and broadband |
A Customer-Focused Business Strategy
Stankey wants customers to buy fiber and wireless together. This bundle approach lowers churn. AT&T reportedly posted record low postpaid phone churn in 2026. The company often highlights advanced connectivity subscribers.
The Lumen deal added more than 4 million fiber locations. AT&T paid about $23 billion for EchoStar spectrum. That mid band spectrum boosts 5G wireless technology. Reports say speed gains reach up to 80 percent.
His customer centric strategy shows in his words. At MWC 2026, he asked, “What do we think our customer wants?” Markets noticed the results. By late September 2024, shares were up about 35 percent that year, the Wall Street Journal reported.
AI and Technology at AT&T
AT&T uses AI in care, coding, and networks. In 2023, it rolled out a tool called Ask AT&T. Employees use it to work faster. Stankey said call centers gain from AI. He added, “we’re making them a lot more effective and efficient.”
AT&T’s app now includes a generative AI assistant. Network modernization also leans on AI. Systems predict traffic and flag faults early. Stankey also studies agentic AI traffic. He said, “The rise of agentic AI is fundamentally reshaping network traffic.” He cited drones, robotics, and AR glasses.
A Cisco report predicts AI inference will reach 25 percent of network traffic by 2035. That forecast explains the push for fiber and spectrum. Artificial intelligence adoption now drives telecom networks. Industry reports also note job cuts at large carriers.
Safra Catz and John Stankey: A Side-by-Side Look
Catz and Stankey lead different industries. Both face similar pressure. Here is the comparison of their careers.
| Category | Safra Catz | John Stankey |
| Company | Oracle Corporation | AT&T Inc. |
| 2026 title | Executive vice chair | Chairman and CEO |
| Joined | 1999 | 1985 |
| Background | Investment banking and law | Telecom operations and strategy |
| Signature moves | Cloud and AI expansion | Fiber, 5G, media exit |
| Age | 64 | About 63 (believed) |
| Net worth | Estimated in the billions | Not publicly disclosed |
Different Industries, Similar Corporate Responsibilities
Both leaders answer to shareholders, boards, and regulators. Both manage huge capital budgets. Both bet on infrastructure that takes years to pay off. Oracle builds data centers. AT&T builds fiber and wireless networks.
Their shared duties include:
- Capital allocation across big projects
- Compliance and regulatory trust
- AI capacity and network demand
- Talent and succession planning
Two Different Paths to Corporate Leadership
Catz entered from finance. She joined Oracle at about age 37. Stankey grew up inside one company. He joined AT&T at the start of his career.
Their styles differ too. Catz is private and deal minded. Stankey is public facing and operational. Catz trusted Ellison’s product vision. Stankey set strategy for a regulated giant. Both reward discipline and clear priorities.
Safra Catz and John Stankey in 2026
In 2026, Catz guides Oracle from the board. Stankey runs AT&T every day. Catz is 64. Stankey is believed to be about 63. Catz’s wealth is estimated in the billions. Stankey’s total net worth is not publicly disclosed. Both remain central to American business.
Where Each Leader Stands in 2026
Their 2026 roles look different. Both remain highly influential.
Safra Catz’s Current Role at Oracle
Catz serves as executive vice chair and director. She works with Larry Ellison on strategy. Co chief executives Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia run daily operations. Hilary Maxson handles finance.
Forbes estimated her net worth near $2.9 billion in March 2026. It listed $3.1 billion in August 2025. Her wealth briefly hit about $3.4 billion in September 2025. Other sites show far lower figures. Methods differ, so treat all numbers as estimates.
John Stankey’s Current Role at AT&T
Stankey remains chairman, CEO, and president. He has been CEO for six years. In May 2026, shareholders reportedly re elected the board with about 93 percent support. On July 22, 2026, he discussed second quarter results.
His 2026 priorities include fiber growth, spectrum use, AI, and shareholder returns. His AT&T shares were valued near $36 million in May 2026. That figure is not his total net worth.
What Their 2026 Positions Show
Together, they show two proven routes to the top. Three lessons stand out:
- Tenure builds trust. Both leaders earned long runway.
- Disciplined deals pay off. Catz bought wisely. Stankey sold wisely.
- AI now shapes strategy. Cloud and networks both depend on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Safra Catz and John Stankey?
Safra Catz is Oracle’s executive vice chair and former CEO. John Stankey is AT&T’s chairman and CEO.
What is Safra Catz’s role at Oracle in 2026?
She serves as executive vice chair of the board. She led Oracle as CEO until September 2025.
What is John Stankey’s role at AT&T?
He serves as chairman and CEO. He became CEO in July 2020 and chairman in February 2025.
How did Safra Catz influence Oracle?
She centralized operations and drove major acquisitions. She also steered Oracle toward cloud infrastructure and AI.
What changed at AT&T under John Stankey?
AT&T exited media and sold DirecTV. It focused on fiber and 5G, then expanded through Lumen and spectrum deals.
Final Thoughts
Safra Catz and John Stankey show two proven paths upward. Catz moved from banking to Oracle’s top seat. Stankey rose through four decades at AT&T. Both leaders reshaped their companies with bold choices.
Catz built a cloud and AI powerhouse. Stankey rebuilt AT&T around fiber and 5G. Their 2026 roles differ but both still matter. Watch Oracle and AT&T for what comes next. You now have the facts you need today. Their decisions will keep shaping American business for years.
