Oracle President Sees Less as More

Charles Phillips came to Oracle(ORCL Quote) from Morgan Stanley three years ago and has quickly become one of the three most powerful executives in the company.

As president, a title he shares with CFO Safra Catz, Phillips heads Oracle's sales, marketing and consulting organizations and is responsible for corporate strategy. His profile at the company rose as Oracle undertook an $18 billion acquisition binge that included software powerhouses PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems, JD Edwards and more.

In an interview last week in his 11th-floor Redwood City, Calif., office, Phillips talked about the company's acquisition strategy (think smaller) and his plans to go head-to-head with rival SAP(SAP Quote) by developing vertical expertise in key industries. ...