Thomas Siebel is a business executive. He is the chairman of First Virtual Group, a diversified holding company with interests in commercial real estate, agribusiness, global investment management, and philanthropy.
Siebel is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a B.A. in history, an M.B.A., and a M.S. in computer science.
From 1984 through 1990, Siebel was an executive at Oracle Corporation, where he held a number of management positions. Siebel served as chief executive officer of Gain Technology, a multimedia software company that merged with Sybase in December 1992. Siebel was the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Siebel Systems, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in January 2006. Siebel is now the chairman of First Virtual Group, a diversified holding company.
Siebel is a frequent industry spokesman and is the author of three books: Taking Care of eBusiness and Cyber Rules, published by Doubleday, and Virtual Selling, published by the Free Press.
Siebel serves on the Board of Advisors of the Stanford University College of Engineering, the University of Illinois College of Engineering, and the University of California at Berkeley College of Engineering, and is a member of the Princeton University Board of Trustees. He is a Director of the University of Illinois Foundation and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Meth Project and the Siebel Scholars Foundation. In 2007 and 2008, he was named one of The 50 Most Generous Philanthropists by BusinessWeek.
Siebel received the David Packard Award for his achievements as a technology entrepreneur and his contributions to national security from the Business Executives for National Security in 2002 and wasnamed one of the Top 25 Managers in the World by BusinessWeek in 2000 and 2001.
In 1999, 2000, and 2001, Fortune magazine recognized Siebel Systems as the fastest, third fastest, and second fastest growing company in the United States, respectively. Call Center Magazine inducted him to its Hall of Fame in 2000 in recognition for contributions to the business and technology of customer service.
Top 10 CEOs - Investor’s Business Daily, 2000
University of Illinois Presidential Award and Medallion, 2001
One of Top 25 Managers in Global Business — BusinessWeek, 1999 to 2001
CEO of the Year — Industry Week, 2002
David Packard Award — Business Executives for National Security, 2002
Thomas M. Siebel, Master Entrepreneur of the Year — Ernst & Young, 2003
The 50 Most Generous Philanthropists — BusinessWeek, 2007, 2008
Lincoln Academy Laureate — The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, 2008
Ranked #5 of the World's Top 25 Philanthropists — Barron's, 2009
Engineering at Illinois Hall of Fame, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010
Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship — The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution, 2010
The Siebel Foundation (founded 1996) is active in support of the homeless and underprivileged, educational and research programs, methamphetamine abuse prevention, and alternative energy solutions. The Siebel Foundation created the Siebel Scholars Foundation, the Dearborn Scholars Fund in Montana, and the Meth Project Foundation.
In 2001, Siebel donated $32 million to his alma mater, the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to build the Siebel Center for Computer Science, opened in spring 2004. In 2006, Siebel donated $4 million to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to establish two endowed full professorships. The Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science is now held by Lillian Hoddeson; a faculty search for the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in Computer Science is still ongoing. Siebel pledged an additional $100 million gift to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007.
Siebel continues to develop philanthropic initiatives.
In the 2008 United States presidential election campaign, Siebel provided backing to the Republican ticket. It was Siebel who introduced Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin to the crowd at a California fund-raising brunch with the quote "Sarah Palin carries the flag of outrage ... for each of us who cries out, 'We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore.'" He remained an active organizer up until the elections. Siebel organized a Republican fundraising Gala in honor of Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, where the asking price for a snapshot with her and a seat at the head table was $50,000. A $2,500 donation was to come with a John McCain lapel pin. Local activists called for protest of the event. However, the event was rescheduled, then canceled altogether.
A part-time Montana resident, Siebel owns and operates the Dearborn Ranch in Wolf Creek, Montana, and the N Bar Ranch in Grass Range, Montana, both working cattle ranches. Siebel's time in Montana has lasted 35 years.
Elephant incident
Siebel said that on the morning of August 1, 2009, he and a guide were in Tanzania, observing a group of elephants from 200 yards away, when an elephant charged Siebel's guide and then turned on Siebel. Siebel suffered several injuries: his left leg was impaled, his right was crushed, and his ribs were broken. Siebel expects to make a full recovery.
Taking Care of eBusiness (2001) ISBN 0-385-50227-3
Cyber Rules (with Pat House) (2001) ISBN 84-7577-804-6
Virtual Selling (with Michael Malone) (2002) ISBN 0-7432-3649-1
Sources
Silicon Valley Republicans to welcome Palin to tech giant's Woodside fundraiser: While California Republicans aren't counting on carrying California in November, they are seizing the GOP VP candidate's sudden stardom to raise cash in the state. Mary Anne Ostrom, Mercury News, September 6, 2008
Woodside fundraiser for Palin popular, but Democratic women in Silicon Valley skeptical about the Palin effect, Mary Anne Ostrom and Linda Goldston, Mercury News, September 12, 2008
Palin cancels stop in California, Mary Anne Ostrom, Mercury News, September 18, 2008
Breaking bread with Sarah Palin, Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, September 18, 2008
