Robert F. Smith

Vista Equity Partners

Philanthropist, American businessman and dealmaker Robert F. Smith is the standard by which all alternative managers are measured. He is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners (Vista) and steers Vista’s investment strategies, governance and investor relations. At the helm, he holds pivotal roles on the Investment Committees for Vista’s Flagship, Foundation, Endeavor and Perennial Funds and contributes as a member of Vista’s Executive Committee. Beyond his day job, which involves generating the best returns in all of private equity and transforming enterprise software companies, Smith actively mentors promising industry executives and gives a vote of confidence to the most promising in the form of LP investments. He is focused on underserved communities through his philanthropic work and is determined to leave the world and industry a better place than when he entered. Smith's journey in the investment industry began in 1994 at Goldman Sachs, where he entered tech investment banking in New York City and later in Silicon Valley. In 2000, Smith founded Vista with a vision to invest in businesses fostering economic equity, ecological responsibility and diversity and inclusion through enterprise software, data and technology. Beyond his corporate leadership, Smith is the founding director and President of Fund II Foundation, Chairman of Carnegie Hall and a co-leader of Southern Communities Initiative. His commitment extends to educational institutions, serving on the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School and the Cornell Engineering College Council. He is also an at-large board member of the Business Roundtable and Chairman of Student Freedom Initiative. In 2019, Smith made one of his most impactful actions to date by paying off the student loan debt of the graduating class of Morehouse College.