Former PeopleSoft Inc. CEO Craig Conway has joined the board of Salesforce.com Inc., an online software pioneer whose rapidly growing market is being targeted by Oracle Corp. - the business software maker that tangled with Conway before buying PeopleSoft last year.
"Craig is a seasoned executive who brings a wealth of industry and business knowledge that will benefit Salesforce.com as we continue to redefine the ... marketplace," Salesforce.com Chairman Marc Benioff said.
Conway, a former Oracle executive, starred in a Silicon Valley software drama during much of 2003 and 2004 as he defiantly fought Oracle's hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft and railed against his former boss, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, whom he likened to a ruthless war lord.
After fighting Oracle for more than a year, PeopleSoft's board fired Conway a year ago, saying it had lost confidence in his leadership. PeopleSoft was sold to Oracle for $11.1 billion two-and-a-half months after Conway's departure. Conway has kept a low profile since his firing.
Oracle last month struck a $5.85 billion deal to buy another rival, Siebel Systems Inc., an acquisition that puts it on a collision course with San Francisco-based Salesforce.com.
Like Siebel, Salesforce.com makes software that helps other companies manage their customer relationships. Unlike Siebel, Salesforce.com hosts all of its applications over the Internet, an approach that intrigued Ellison so much that he was among Salesforce.com's early investors.
Ellison retains a small stake in Salesforce.com, but last month said he wouldn't mind seeing his holdings become worthless if it meant Oracle could overtake its smaller rival in the online software market. Charles Phillips, an Oracle co-president, put Salesforce.com on notice again last week, saying Oracle hoped to "crush" the industry upstart.
While he was at PeopleSoft, Conway routinely brushed off Salesforce.com as an inconsequential player. In a 2003 interview with The Associated Press, Conway described Salesforce.com as "a small company that sells services to other small companies."
Conway is now one of seven directors on Salesforce.com's board. Salesforce.com's shares fell 30 cents Thursday to close at $23.05 on the New York Stock Exchange.
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