Robert-Smith
Speaker Bio
Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners, based in Austin, Texas. Vista currently manages equity capital commitments of approximately $25 billion and oversees a portfolio of more than 30 software companies that employ over 30,000 employees worldwide.
Prior to founding Vista, Mr. Smith was the Co-Head of Enterprise Systems and Storage at Goldman Sachs in New York and Silicon Valley. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and his MBA from Columbia Business School, where he serves on its Board of Overseers. Mr. Smith also worked at Kraft General Foods, where he earned two United States and two European patents.
Mr. Smith has been recognized for his business achievements and global philanthropic works, including the Reginald F. Lewis Achievement Award, the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Robert Toigo Foundation, the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Rights, and many more. He is the Chairman of the Board of Carnegie Hall and the Chairman of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights.