Charles Phillips underneath the Suit and Tie: The Business Man’s Military Upbringing

InformationWeek dubbed Charles Phillips as Oracle Corporation’s “secret weapon.” In 2003, then Oracle CEO Larry Ellison took Mr. Phillips off Wall Street and appointed him Oracle president. During his seven-year stint at the firm, Mr. Phillips has tripled Oracle’s revenue growth, and played a key role in the firm’s successful acquisition strategy including specific transactions such as BEA Systems, Hyperion Solutions, and Siebel Systems. Today, Mr. Phillips is the Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors at Infor Global Solutions, a leading provider of business software and services, with over 70,000 customers in 164 countries.

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Mr. Phillips’ drive for success stems from a military upbringing. Following in his father’s footsteps who served 20 years in the Air Force, Charles Phillips entered the United States Air Force Academy, one of the most selective colleges in the country. Candidates for admission are judged on their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, athletics, and character. Mr. Phillips earned an undergraduate degree in computer science at the U.S. Air Force Academy and later on joined the United States Marine Corps. With determination, skills, and wits, he achieved the rank of Captain as an information technology officer.

From Charles Phillips Photos

A military background proved to be a great advantage during Charles Phillips’ Oracle stint. In the first three years that Phillips served as president of the firm, he has emerged on top and constantly fulfilled the dual jobs of acquisition executor and customer advocate. Mr. Phillips’ performance has been spot on – and his discipline and principles as a man from the military is still one of his secret weapons in his current gig as CEO of Infor.

From Charles Phillips Photos

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