Profile: Robert F. Smith founder, Chairman and CEO Vista Equity Partners

Robert F. Smith founder, Chairman and CEO Vista Equity Partners

Robert F. Smith is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners – a private equity firm focused on software and technology-enabled businesses.

Smith founded the San Fransisco headquartered company in 2000 and under his stewardship, Vista Equity Partners has grown to hold over US$ 7 billion in committed equity capital. Vista Equity Partners currently manages and controls over 14 software companies with over 10,000 employees globally. In aggregate, the Vista Equity Partners portfolio of companies is the world’s 10th largest software company.

Prior to founding Vista Equity Partners, Smith was the co-head of the Enterprise Systems and Storage sector for Goldman, Sachs & Co.’s investment banking division where he executed and advised on over US$50 billion in merger and acquisition activity with companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Ebay and Yahoo, amongst many others.

Smith started his career at age 17 with Bell Laboratories, he is the principal inventor on (2) United States and (2) European patents. He is an alumnus of Cornell University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering; and the Columbia Business School, where he earned his MBA. While at at Columbia, he received the Roswell C. McCrea Award, served as the President of the Black Business Students Association (BBSA) and as the elected commencement Speaker for the Columbia Business School, MBA Class of 1994.

Robert F. Smith is also known to give back to his community. In 2010, he launched a philanthropic effort called the Zoelimax Foundation – which is committed to supporting projects and entities which enable people globally to trully become their best selves. He was also a member of the Leadership Circle for the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington DC.

His work both in business and in charity has won him numerous awards including: The 2010 Columbia University Black Business Student Association Distinguished Alumni Award; the 2010 Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and the 2011 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Robert Toigo Foundation.

More about Robert F. Smith and the Vista Equity Partners can be found here..