https://crywnews.com/business/oracle-insiders-say-there-is-a-culture-of-fear-under-the-leadership-of-its-key-cloud-unit/
Great article. If you read the lawsuit about TG, then this article has a lot of background info. I can see why TG was desperately getting people to write "docs" for CM and why he was changing the deadlines.
Some quotes:
OCI, the cloud unit, has lost at least a dozen VPs since the start of 2020, and is facing lawsuits.
The attendees who spoke with Insider said that while they each remember a slightly different version of Magouyrk’s exact wording, the gist of his frustrated aside was that the laptop must’ve been built by “tiny Asian hands.”
The reign of Magouyrk, however, has raised questions over Oracle’s culture. Magouyrk’s leadership style was cited in a pair of lawsuits filed by former VPs against the company and an executive, including an allegation that he once told an executive that his actions were “fu----g stupid” in front of all of OCI’s senior leaders. One of the former VPs who sued Oracle died by su----e in April. Oracle is seeking to force both cases into private arbitration.
Oracle insiders who spoke to Insider said the comments alleged in the lawsuit are generally “tame” compared to others Magouyrk has made. Magouryk was “abusive to people in large group settings. It was never, ‘stay after the meeting and let’s have a conversation.’ If he was upset, he would insult you personally and professionally,” one former employee said. “He’d drive grown men to tears, and then just be like, ‘Jesus fu----g Christ.'
All told, a dozen current and former Oracle employees and executives said there was what one person described as a “culture of fear” at OCI, telling Insider that Magouyrk is known for trying to get results by “beating down” employees emotionally. One employee said they were told during the interview process that they were going to want a “fear buddy” to turn to when they inevitably thought they were going to get fired.
Finally, in the summer of 2018, Ellison issued a decree: Johnson would be given overall control of the cloud business, while Kurian would oversee the rest of Oracle’s products. Kurian left in the immediate aftermath of that decision, according to two people familiar with the situation, with one describing it as a “rage quit.” Kurian was named CEO of Google Cloud later that year, replacing Diane Greene. Google did not comment for this story.
The decision effectively made Magouyrk the second-in-command of Oracle’s cloud business, with one former employee describing Johnson as the “mature older statesman” who kept his outburst-prone protege in check. Once, a former employee walked out of Magouryk’s office after a screaming match, according to someone who witnessed the meeting, and quit. Johnson, whose office was next door, marched into Magouyrk’s office and said: “You need to get him back or you’re done,” according to the employee. The person who quit did not respond to a request for comment.
Insiders say that Magouyrk gained a reputation among some for being generally difficult to work with: In 2016, Oracle acquired the startup Dyn and integrated into a group overseen by Magouyrk. Three months after the deal closed, Dyn’s leadership made it clear that it would not work with Magouyrk, with Oracle eventually reassigning it to Johnson’s direct command.
“To a point, the fear culture is helpful because people really do push themselves — the internal joke at OCI is Microsoft is a country club,” one former executive said, referring to the perception that Microsoft provides more work-life balance than other companies, but may not be as ambitious. “But beyond that point, fear doesn’t work. Fear just means people cover things up. They go watermelon.” (green project status on the outside, and red status on the inside, basically what TG was doing).
Insiders say the cloud unit will need a more sophisticated, seasoned operator. Perhaps ironically, one former executive points to the success that Kurian has seen in turning around Google Cloud in the years since he left Oracle. Kurian has proven to be an effective leader and salesperson, increasing Google’s appeal to larger customers and making it more competitive.
“They need a Thomas Kurian,” one former executive said of Oracle. Without someone like that, the former executive said, Oracle’s cloud ambitions could be in jeopardy.
“Something is going to go wrong enough that they are not going to be able to shove it into the closet or sweep it under the rug,” the person said. “They are going to run out of people to take the fall and they are going to have to hire somebody.”