Paul Maritz

Paul Maritz
Paul Maritz
Born	March 16, 1955 (age 71); Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe)
Occupation(s)	Computer scientist, technology executive
Years active	1981–present
Known for	Executive roles at Microsoft, EMC Corporation, VMware, Pivotal Software; chairman of Acronis and Mifos

Paul Alistair Maritz (born March 16, 1955) is a renowned computer scientist and software industry leader who has held executive positions at Microsoft, EMC Corporation, and has served as chairman of Pivotal Software as well as, since October 2021, Acronis.

Early life

Maritz was born in Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) and received his early education in South Africa at Highbury Preparatory School and Hilton College. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at the University of Natal and went on to earn a B.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Cape Town in 1977.

Career

Starting his professional journey at Burroughs Corporation and conducting research at the University of St. Andrews, Maritz moved to Silicon Valley in 1981 to join Intel. During his five-year tenure there, he contributed to the development of tools for the then-emerging x86 architecture. His move to Microsoft in 1986 marked the beginning of a pivotal period in his career within software leadership.

Microsoft

Between 1986 and 2000, Maritz was part of Microsoft’s executive committee, eventually becoming executive vice president of the Platforms Strategy and Developer Group. He was a crucial figure within the five-member executive management team and widely considered the third most influential leader after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. His responsibilities included overseeing Microsoft’s desktop and server software divisions, spearheading major initiatives such as Windows 95, Windows NT, and Internet Explorer.

Maritz also holds the distinction of being the highest-ranking Microsoft executive to testify during the 1999 antitrust case. He is credited with introducing the phrase "eating your own dogfood," which has since become a standard practice in software development.

In July 1999, he announced plans to scale back his role and subsequently resigned in September 2000, coinciding with the launch of Windows ME. Steve Ballmer praised him as "truly a leader among leaders," while Bill Gates recognized his substantial contributions to both Microsoft and the wider technology sector.

In October 2013, media reports identified him as a potential contender to replace Ballmer as Microsoft's CEO.

Pi Corporation

Maritz co-founded Pi Corporation and served as its CEO. The company, supported by Warburg Pincus, specialized in Linux software development with operations based in Bangalore, India. After EMC acquired Pi in February 2008, Maritz briefly assumed the role of president and general manager for EMC’s cloud computing division.

VMware

On July 8, 2008, Maritz was named CEO of VMware, a publicly traded firm primarily owned by EMC, taking over from co-founder Diane Greene. His leadership saw VMware’s revenue and profitability grow threefold by mid-2012. He was succeeded by Pat Gelsinger as CEO on September 1, 2012.

GoPivotal

In April 2013, Maritz took on the role of CEO at GoPivotal, Inc. (Pivotal), a startup funded by General Electric (GE), EMC, and VMware. He led the organization until August 2015. Following his resignation as CEO, he continued his involvement as an advisor and investor and showed an interest in collaborating with the financial services startup Mifos, which targets emerging markets.

Mifos

Maritz holds the position of chairman at Mifos, a financial software platform built on open-source principles, and has been a key financial backer of this project.

Acronis

In October 2021, Maritz was named chairman of the board at Acronis, where he directs governance and strategic leadership as the company enhances its footprint in the service provider sector and prepares for additional growth.

Other activities

Maritz acted as an angel investor for Apture. He also serves as the chair of the board for the Grameen Foundation, an organization dedicated to microfinance and development initiatives in emerging economies. Furthermore, he champions the application of technology to elevate living standards in developing regions.

Recognition

In 2010, Maritz earned the title of Most Influential Executive from CRN. The following year, he was awarded the Morgan Stanley Leadership Award for Global Commerce and received the Executive of the Year accolade from the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

External links

Grameen Foundation USA Advisory Councils – archived profile of Paul Maritz
Corner Office NYTimes Interview – The New York Times, 2 October 2010
Number One Most Influential Executive Of 2010 – CRN (archived)