Safra Catz and Diane von Furstenberg share two documented public connections: both appeared in Forbes coverage of successful foreign-born women in America, and both supported LeanIn.Org’s 2018 #MentorHer campaign. Catz is a technology executive associated with Oracle; von Furstenberg is the fashion designer and entrepreneur behind DVF.
Their careers offer a comparison between corporate leadership and building a namesake fashion business. The public sources documenting their shared recognition and campaign support do not establish a family relationship or business partnership.
Their shared recognition in Forbes
In June 2015, Forbes published “American Dreamers: Foreign Born Women Making Fortunes In U.S.” The feature examined the women born outside the United States who appeared in its first ranking of America’s richest self-made women.
Catz appeared as an Israeli-born executive associated with Oracle. Von Furstenberg appeared as a Belgian-born entrepreneur associated with DVF. Both had built substantial careers in the United States, despite working in different industries.
Forbes included both women again in its 2016 coverage of foreign-born members of the ranking. These articles document their inclusion in the same business category; they do not describe a collaboration between them.
The accompanying wealth estimates belong to those publication dates. They should not be used as current net-worth figures.
Both supported the #MentorHer campaign
A more direct shared activity appears in LeanIn.Org’s announcement of #MentorHer on February 6, 2018. The organization named both Safra Catz of Oracle and Diane von Furstenberg of DVF among the business leaders publicly committing to the initiative.
The campaign encouraged men to mentor women and help them access professional opportunities. Its practical suggestions included introducing women to influential colleagues and giving them equal access to activities that support career development.
Their participation establishes support for the same workplace initiative. The announcement does not say they organized the campaign together or worked directly with each other.
Safra Catz’s career in technology
Catz is best known for her senior leadership roles at Oracle. Her career there has included positions as president, chief financial officer and chief executive officer.
Before Oracle, she worked at investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where her roles included managing director in investment banking. That background distinguishes her career from the work of a technology founder: she advanced through finance and executive management.
In September 2025, Oracle appointed Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as its chief executive officers and moved Catz, who had served as CEO since 2014, to executive vice chair of the board. Oracle’s current biography lists her in that board role.
Diane von Furstenberg’s career in fashion
Von Furstenberg founded DVF in 1972 and introduced her signature wrap dress in 1974. The dress wraps around the body and ties at the waist, making its construction central to its recognizable style.
According to the brand’s official history, she had sold more than a million dresses by 1976. DVF continues to offer variations of the wrap dress in different fabrics, prints and lengths.
Her business identity grew around a product and her own name. While Catz’s reputation developed through leadership within Oracle, von Furstenberg’s developed through fashion design and the brand she founded.
How their careers compare
| Area | Safra Catz | Diane von Furstenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Main field | Technology and corporate leadership | Fashion design and entrepreneurship |
| Principal company | Oracle | DVF |
| Country of birth | Israel | Belgium |
| Best known for | Senior executive roles, including Oracle CEO | Her fashion brand and signature wrap dress |
| Shared public activity | Support for #MentorHer in 2018 | Support for #MentorHer in 2018 |
The clearest connection between the two women is their recognition within American business and their support for the same mentoring initiative. Those documented overlaps explain how their names intersect while leaving their individual achievements—and the limits of the public record—clear.
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