Biography

Robert F. Smith was born in a working-class neighborhood of Denver, Colorado in 1962. While still in high school, Robert was initially denied a prestigious internship at Bell Labs because they were reserved for college students, but his persistence in calling the company every week for five months paid off when he was eventually offered the position.

Smith continued to work at Bell Labs during his summer and winter breaks while completing his chemical engineering degree at Cornell University. After graduating from Cornell, he worked as an engineer for several top companies – including Kraft General Foods, where he was granted two patents in the U.S. and two more in Europe – before going on to earn his MBA with honors from Columbia Business School.

In 1994, Robert joined Goldman Sachs to help develop more robust investment banking in technology, starting out in New York and later moving to Silicon Valley. He became the Co-Head of Enterprise Systems and Storage, where he assisted massive technology companies like Hewlett Packard, IBM, eBay and Apple with mergers and acquisitions. He was the first person at Goldman Sachs in San Francisco to focus on that specific area of financing.

In 2000, Robert F. Smith founded Vista Equity Partners to invest in innovation by way of enterprise software and technology solutions. Today, he serves as Chairman and CEO of Vista, directing the firm’s strategy, governance and investor relations. In 2011, Vista opened its office in Austin, Texas, and was recognized as the most active investor in the software industry by Berkery Noyes.

Smith was recognized by Forbes as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds in 2017 for his business acumen and leadership skills.