Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”) was founded over 20 years ago with the belief that the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future — a healthier planet, a smarter economy, an inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity.

A long-term view has always been central to how we operate, and we have made meaningful strides to accelerate this work, including via new systematic approaches to environmental, social and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Advancing ESG practices at scale across firm and portfolio operations

With ESG risks increasing and value creation opportunities multiplying, we continue to look for ESG solutions across our firm’s activities and portfolio companies. For example, in recent years, we’ve worked to integrate ESG into our private equity and permanent capital investment diligence process and strengthen our portfolio companies’ ESG best practices.  In 2021, Vista became one of the first large North American private equity firms to join the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative – pledging to emit net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our private equity and permanent capital portfolio by 2050 and reduce our emissions by 50% across our portfolio by 2030. As part of our commitment, we are focusing our 2022 efforts on helping portfolio companies set science-based emission-reduction targets and repeatable processes for GHG measurement.

A DE&I strategy focused on the entire software ecosystem

We’re also deeply focused on the long-term benefits of a more inclusive economy and society. Our DE&I vision is to transform the worlds of technology and investing by providing access and opportunity to traditionally underserved communities. We execute our DE&I strategy across four pillars focused on the entire software ecosystem — firm, portfolio, industry and community engagement. Together, these pillars ensure we maximize our efforts where we can have the most reach. Vista is a member of the Corporate Call to Action (CCA), a coalition of 18 companies that align closely with our DE&I goals and has pledged to the CCA’s commitments which include: Diversifying Suppliers and Business Partners; Investing in Underserved Communities; Building a Diverse Talent Pipeline; Improving Workforce Equity and Transparency

Achieving portfolio diversity from the top down

Since 2017, we’ve had an External Board Program to achieve greater diversity across our portfolio board members. We’ve also established partnerships with Diligent’s Modern Leadership Initiative, the Board Challenge and the Board Diversity Action Alliance and participated in FCLT’s report, “Best Practices to Improve Board Diversity.” Last year, we launched the Audit Committee Pipeline Program with the National Association of Corporate Directors to provide first-time board members from underrepresented backgrounds with 12 months of detailed board preparation curriculum. Sixty-nine percent of our portfolio company boards have at least one woman and 85% have at least one person of color as of December 2021.

Inclusion as a recruitment, retention and culture imperative

Systemic change requires a new approach from both the bottom up and the top down. Through our firm’s Conscious Inclusion program, we list inclusion as a competency for each role and tie employee education of conscious inclusion to their performance reviews. Since 2015, we’ve partnered with Girls Who Invest, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of women in the asset management industry. Vista also launched its Frontier Fellows program in 2019 to provide undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds with full-time, paid internships.

Closing the digital divide with the EDISON Alliance Board

Enterprise software can have an outsized impact on our world – it can make us more efficient, more productive, more connected and more considerate of the world we live in. However, lack of access to technology can also widen the socioeconomic divide. As a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s EDISON Alliance Board, we are working to prioritize digital inclusion for all.

ESG and DE&I efforts can drive meaningful business and investment results for our investors and all our stakeholders. As we consider how we can solve today’s environmental, social and economic challenges, we believe Vista’s size and expertise can help create solutions that move our economy forward and sustain positive change for the long-term.