How Robert F. Smith Found a Mentor in Vic Hauser at Bell Labs

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In this fireside chat with Harold L. Martin Sr., Ph.D., Chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Robert F. Smith, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners (Vista), noted how to find a mentor by sharing the story of becoming Vic Hauser’s mentee while interning at Bell Labs in Denver.

Smith began by sharing insights about why he chose to pursue a career in engineering. It began with an interest in how engineers systemically solve complex problems. After that initial spark of interest, he decided to pursue a summer internship at Bell Labs as a high school student, even though the program was meant for college juniors and seniors.

Not deterred, Smith called every Monday for the next five months. Luckily, an MIT student did not show up for the internship program, freeing up a space for him. During the internship, Smith ended up working with Vic Hauser in a small office. They shared the joy of figuring things out, and Hauser spent hours answering Smith’s questions, empowering his natural curiosity.

At Bell Labs, he would discover his passion for coming up with elegant solutions to complex problems, something he strives to do today in his roles at Vista and as a philanthropist.