Ex-White House Press Secretary Joins Oracle

PALO ALTO —  Larry Ellison, founder and flamboyant chief of Oracle Corp., has hired Joe Lockhart, the press secretary who saw President Clinton through the sex scandal that led to his impeachment, as part of his senior management team.

Oracle on Tuesday announced that Lockhart--who left his White House post in September--has joined the software giant as a senior vice president, reporting directly to Ellison.

Lockhart’s first order of business will be to “focus on refining and communicating Oracle’s business strategy,” the company said. Oracle is the world’s second-largest software company behind Microsoft Corp.

Lockhart is expected to split his time between Oracle’s base in Redwood Shores, Calif., and Washington, D.C. He took over the White House pressroom’s podium during the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal, which culminated in Clinton’s Dec. 19, 1998, impeachment. Clinton was acquitted in February 1999.

“Joe brings perspective and experience not commonly found in Silicon Valley companies,” said Ellison, who is trying to transform Oracle from a database software giant to a leader in the e-business space. “This is an incredible opportunity for me to work with one of the most exciting companies in the world, and with one of the most visionary business leaders of our time,” Lockhart said.