42: Robert F. Smith: Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners - One of the World’s Most Successful Software-Focused Private Equity Firms

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With more than 77 billion dollars in assets under management (as of March 31st 2021), Vista Equity Partners is one of the world’s largest and leading software private equity firms. As Founder, Chairman and CEO, this success has helped Robert F. Smith become one of the most respected investors of his generation, being named by Forbes as one of the ‘100 Greatest Living Business Minds’ as well as one of the most generous philanthropists of his time.

Robert describes his upbringing in Denver, how he secured his first work experience at Bell Labs whilst still at school and his education at Cornell University and Columbia Business School, taking him from engineering to finance. Robert describes working in technology at Goldman Sachs Investment Banking, which included advising a then-troubled Apple as it pivoted to become a platform technology company. 

He then explains his decision to leave and found Vista Equity Partners in 2000. He talks about the signs that software’s importance would mushroom and how today, Vista’s 70+ portfolio companies have circa 75,000 employees globally, together comprising one of the world’s largest enterprise software companies when combined by revenue, serving over 300 million users.

Robert goes on to examine why software has been the most productive economic tool in the last 50 years and explains why he describes today’s epoch as the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’. After covering the underlying meaning behind ‘digitization’, he provides examples of how his companies have prospered, why their growth trajectory is still so exciting and why software companies are helping to re-shape supply chains and industries across the world.

He discusses the merits of private equity versus public listings, the huge gains investors have made in their funds, and why he believes the investment opportunities are still so significant.

Robert then talks about his philanthropic work, his view on reaching those communities who have been underserved and what needs to be done and committed to in order to create lasting change for good.