Tara French

Equitable Opportunities

My first exposure to Vista was when I worked for a Vista company. In my role focusing on cloud initiatives and AI productization, I worked closely with Vista on various projects, including evaluating possible add-on investments. And it was through these interactions I got to see first-hand the value and support Vista brings their companies.

When the opportunity to join Vista arose, I saw a chance to take my career to the next level. As a Black woman in tech, I didn’t always feel I had access to leadership positions. But the firm’s dedication to equitable opportunities and building up employees was evident, and I knew I was taking the best step to grow as a strategic leader.

Driving Success From the Inside Out

Throughout my career, I’ve worked at companies during times of transition, whether acquiring other organizations or being acquired by a private equity firm itself. These experiences led me to believe common perceptions that surround private equity.

But I quickly realized that Vista is not like other PE firms, culturally or strategically. The people here, including my teammates and I, are all driven by an inherent desire to support organizations and help solve problems. Our approach is about making things better — better products, better technology, better people.

Leading by Example

You don’t have to look at the data to grasp the significant lack of women and underrepresented communities in tech. Product and technology is a particularly male-dominated field, and I struggled to see myself represented in leadership positions during my career.

When I started at Vista, it was incredibly refreshing that we weren’t just sweeping the issue under the rug. We actively discuss how to generate progress and ask, “How can we improve, and what are some opportunities to how can we use our voice and our position to really move the needle through our DE&I initiatives?”

We view DE&I as a call to action, not a buzzword. Vista intentionally embodies DE&I throughout the firm, our companies and communities. I’m just one example of Vista’s dedication to using its position to move the diversity needle in tech. After over half a decade at Vista, I’ve seen and truly believe DE&I is something that’s deeply embodied throughout the firm and culture.