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Carl Thoma | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Oklahoma State University Stanford Graduate School of Business |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder and managing partner, Thoma Bravo |
| Spouse |
Marilynn Thoma (m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
Carl D. Thoma (born 1948) is an American businessman, philanthropist,[1] and art collector.[2] He is co-founder and managing partner at Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm established in 2008 with Orlando Bravo specializing in enterprise software and technology.[3] He also co-founded its predecessor firms, including Golder Thoma & Co. and GTCR. With his wife Marilynn,[4] Thoma owns an extensive art collection[5] and supports the arts and education initiatives[6][7] through the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.[8]
Thoma has been called "one of the founding fathers of private equity"[9] and "one of the deans of the buyout business."[10]
Early life and education
editCarl Thoma grew up in the Oklahoma panhandle area, in Cimarron County, Oklahoma and Union County, New Mexico.[11] He completed his bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University in accounting and agricultural economics and his MBA from Stanford Business School.[1]
Career
editPrivate equity
editThoma moved to Chicago in 1974 and began working at First Chicago Equity Group.[2] In 1980, Thoma and Stanley Golder created the Chicago buyout firm Golder Thoma & Co., where Thoma was later chairman.[12] The company was renamed Golder, Thoma & Cressey in 1984, and after the promotion of Bruce Rauner to partner, it became Golder Thoma Cressey Rauner (GTCR).
In 1998, the four partners split, and Thoma and Bryan Cressey created Thoma Cressey Equity Partners.[13] Thoma hired Orlando Bravo, who would go on to build the firm's software strategy.[10] In 2007, the firm announced that it would split in two, with Thoma and Orlando Bravo managing a new firm focusing on software and business services,[14][15] which in 2008 began operating under the new name Thoma Bravo.[9] The firm has over $140 billion in assets under management as of 2024.[16]
As of 2024, Thoma continues to be a managing partner at Thoma Bravo, alongside other managing partners Seth Boro, Orlando Bravo, Scott Crabill, Lee Mitchell and Holden Spaht.[17]
Thoma has been credited as a "pioneer" of the strategy of "buy-and-build investing," which later became a tool used by most private equity firms.[9]
Art collecting
editThoma and his wife Marilynn own an art collection with more than 1,600 pieces of art.[5] They began collecting in 1975.[8] The Thoma family lends their pieces to museums across the United States.[18]
Winemaking
editIn 1998, the Thoma family bought a 110-acre property in Dallas, Oregon and established Van Duzer Vineyards, which cultivates 84 planted acres.[19]
Philanthropy
editThe Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation was established in 1986 and supports initiatives in education and the arts, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Humanities Festival, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater,[20] Santa Fe Opera, Stanford University and Oklahoma State University.[1] At OSU, the Thoma family has given to various student programs. In 2023, the Thoma family launched the Thoma Scholars Program, which awards scholarships to rural students from the Oklahoma panhandle, the Texas panhandle and eastern New Mexico.[7] They contributed $5 million to the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, establishing the Thoma Fund for Entrepreneurship. This donation also endowed the executive director position and helped fund the OSU Student Success Center.[7]
Board memberships
editThoma is a board member of the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, New Mexico School for the Arts, the Phoenix Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe.[21]
Personal life
editCarl met his wife, Marilynn, at Oklahoma State University and they married in 1970.[18] They have two children and split their time between Dallas and Santa Fe.[2][8][22]
References
edit- ^ a b c Adeniji, Ade (21 March 2018). "Thoma: Meet an Art-Collecting Couple Committed to Visual Arts". Inside Philanthropy.
- ^ a b c Kapos, Shia (13 December 2014). "Carl Thoma pursues the art of the deal". Crain's Chicago Business.
- ^ Meikle, Brad (3 November 2008). "Personality Profile: Past Downturns Inform Carl Thoma's Strategy". Buyouts Insider.
- ^ "Carl and Marilynn Thoma". ARTnews. 12 October 2021.
- ^ a b Villa, Angelica (14 October 2021). "Collector's Corner: Carl and Marilynn Thoma Are Unafraid to Buy-and Conserve-Art That's Tough to Care For". ARTnews.
- ^ "Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation: Grants for Chicago". Inside Philanthropy. 6 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Evans, Murray (18 July 2024). "Longtime OSU donors funding a scholarship program for students in rural northwest Oklahoma". The Oklahoman.
- ^ a b c Zastudil, Nancy (11 July 2016). "Collecting: Carl & Marilynn Thoma". Art ltd. magazine. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019.
- ^ a b c Falconer, Kirk (2 February 2023). "Carl Thoma: 'People are still in denial'". Buyouts Insider.
- ^ a b "Carl Thoma". Forbes.
- ^ Caliva, Stacy (9 August 2023). "Carl and Marilynn Thoma Announce Thoma Scholars Program For Rural Students At Texas Tech". Texas Tech Now.
- ^ Lipper, Arthur III; Ryan, George (1984). Venture's guide to investing in private companies: a financing manual for the entrepreneurial investor. Homewood, Ill.: Dow Jones-Irwin. p. 183. ISBN 0870944800..
- ^ Meikle, Brad (29 November 2010). "Legends of Private Equity: Biggest Hits and Misses". Buyouts Insider.
- ^ "Private-equity firms to separate funds". Chicago Tribune. 21 August 2021.
- ^ Harris, Jennifer (2 October 2007). "Thoma Cressey Bravo to split". Private Equity International.
- ^ Vinn, Milana (6 August 2024). "Thoma Bravo explores $2 billion sale of ESG software maker Cority, sources say". Reuters.
- ^ "Thoma Bravo Team". Thoma Bravo.
- ^ a b Bennett, Megan (8 September 2017). "'A really arty family' champions its passions". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023.
- ^ Mamula, Patty (1 November 2019). "Wind in Their Sales". Oregon Wine Press.
- ^ York, Alice (4 July 2018). "Chicago Shakespeare Theater: GALA 2018". Classic Chicago Magazine.
- ^ "Carl Thoma – Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation". University of Chicago. 24 August 2023.
- ^ Anspon, Catherine D. (18 June 2024). "Your Exclusive Peek at Dallas' Thoma Foundation, One of America's Most Important Private Collections". PaperCity Magazine.