Robert F. Smith

Investor Robert F. Smith is Vista’s Founder, Chairman and CEO. He directs Vista’s investment strategy and decisions, governance and investor relations.

Robert sits on the Investment Committees for Vista’s Flagship, Foundation, Endeavor and Perennial Funds and serves as a member of Vista’s Executive Committee, the firm’s governing and decision-making body for matters affecting its overall management and strategic direction, and Private Equity Management Committee, the firm’s decision-making body for matters affecting Vista’s overall private equity platform. Robert is also the Chairman of VistaOne, Vista’s evergreen private equity vehicle, and serves on the Investment Committee. Vista currently manages equity assets under management of over $100 billion and oversees a portfolio of over 90 enterprise software, data and technology-enabled companies that employ 100,000 people worldwide. Since Vista’s founding, Robert has supervised over 650 completed transactions, representing more than $330 billion in aggregate transaction value.

Early Life and Career

Born in Denver, Colorado, Robert trained as an engineer at Cornell University, earning his B.S. in chemical engineering in 1985. After graduation, he worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber, followed by Kraft General Foods, where he obtained two U.S. and two European patents for coffee filtration systems.

Upon receiving his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in 1994, he joined Goldman Sachs in tech investment banking, first in New York City and then in Silicon Valley. As Co‐Head of Enterprise Systems and Storage, he executed and advised on over $50 billion in merger and acquisition activity with companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, eBay and Yahoo. Robert was the first person at Goldman’s San Francisco office to focus solely on M&A of technology and software companies. In 2000, Robert founded Vista Equity Partners.

As a leading entrepreneur, philanthropist and industry pioneer in software and technology investment, Robert has been invited to speak about finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and related topics at a variety of venues, including the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, the Milken Institute Global Conference and Columbia Business School events, among others. He has also appeared in numerous written publications, podcasts, television and other media interviews.

Philanthropy and Memberships

Robert is the founding director and President of Fund II Foundation. Founded in 2014, Fund II Foundation provides grants to fund efforts that safeguard human rights, provide environmental conservation and more. In 2019, under Robert’s leadership, Fund II Foundation launched internXL, a platform to match leading companies with talented internship candidates.

In 2016, Robert announced a personal contribution of $20 million to Cornell University’s College of Engineering, plus another $10 million in scholarships for Black Americans and women pursuing technology-related degrees. Cornell University honored Robert’s leadership by renaming its engineering school the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In 2022, he donated another $15 million to support the creation of scholarship and fellowship funds. He continues to serve his alma mater as a member of the Cornell Engineering College Council.

In 2017, Robert made a donation of $15 million to Columbia Business School to help support Columbia University’s expansion into the Manhattanville neighborhood in West Harlem. In 2022, he provided $10 million to fund The Robert F. Smith ’94 Scholarship Fund. He continues to serve on the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School.

In 2019, Robert made headlines by announcing that he would eliminate the student loan debt of nearly 400 students in the Morehouse College graduating class. He would later extend his gift to eliminate the loans held by the students’ guardians on their behalf. Inspired to do more, Robert led the creation of Student Freedom Initiative (SFI). SFI offers freedom in professional and life choices for select STEM students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Robert also co-leads Southern Communities Initiative, a consortium of companies with a single mission: to accelerate wealth creation and economic growth in six Southern U.S. communities.

Robert is also the Chairman of Carnegie Hall and SFI. In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of Grand Slam Track and a Founding Member of the World Economic Forum EDISON Alliance.