# Oracle's CFO reframes layoffs as strategic focus

> New finance chief Hilary Maxson tells employees the job cuts aren't about doing more with less, but about simplifying and redirecting resources.
- Title: Oracle's CFO reframes layoffs as strategic focus | Shortify
- Summary: New finance chief Hilary Maxson tells employees the job cuts aren't about doing more with less, but about simplifying and redirecting resources. Oracle is…
- Keywords: oracle, hilary maxson, cfo, layoffs, workforce reduction, ai infrastructure, capital expenditure, restructuring, mike sicilia, business, finance, Oracle's
- Source: Yahoo Finance — https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/oracle-cfo-hilary-maxson-addresses-120343796.html
- Published: 2026-09-16T12:03:43+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: oracle, hilary maxson, cfo, layoffs, workforce reduction, ai infrastructure, capital expenditure, restructuring, mike sicilia, business, finance
## Oracle's new CFO addresses layoffs
Hilary Maxson told employees on Tuesday that recent job cuts should not be seen as doing more with less, but as simplifying processes and focusing resources where they have the greatest impact.

> I don't mean doing more with less, which is a phrase that I really, really don't like.
## Executives avoid mentioning cuts
During Maxson's first companywide meeting, executives focused on growth, customer demand, and artificial intelligence instead of addressing the layoffs that began the day before.
## Co-CEO sets customer focus mantra
Mike Sicilia asked employees to keep asking how their work helps deliver better outcomes for customers, emphasizing collaboration during a period of significant change.

> How does the work that I'm doing help deliver a better outcome for a customer?
## Oracle cut 13% of workforce
The company shed approximately 21,000 positions across the fiscal year ending May 31, 2026, representing about 13% of its total workforce.
## Restructuring plan expanded to 2.8 billion
Oracle expanded its 2026 Restructuring Plan by approximately 700 million dollars, bringing the total estimated cost to roughly 2.8 billion dollars, with 2.1 billion in charges recorded through August 31.
## Capital spending surges for AI buildout
Oracle's capital expenditures jumped to 28.5 billion dollars in the quarter ended August 31, up from 8.5 billion a year earlier, with projections of 90 to 95 billion dollars for fiscal 2027.
## Key takeaway

Oracle is cutting 13% of its workforce while spending heavily on AI infrastructure, framing layoffs as strategic choices rather than cost-cutting measures.