Early Life and Education
Holden Spaht was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He attended Dartmouth College, earning a B.A. in economics. He furthered his studies in international politics at the University of Cologne on a Fulbright Scholarship. Spaht later obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Rise to Success
Spaht began his career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York. He subsequently held analyst and associate roles at Thomas H. Lee Partners in Boston and Morgan Stanley in London and San Francisco. In 2005, Spaht joined Thoma Bravo, where he currently serves as a Managing Partner. His leadership has been pivotal in driving the firm’s growth in the software private equity sector. He is responsible for leading the firm's application software strategy, with a specific focus on the financial technology, e-commerce, education, and office of the CFO spaces.
Key Business Strategies
At Thoma Bravo, Spaht has been instrumental in numerous successful acquisitions and exits. He has led many of the firm’s application software investments, and currently sits on the boards of multiple software and technology companies. Over his career, Spaht has held nearly two dozen board seats and led over 15 exits. He is recognized for his data-driven analyses and contributions to the financial and technology sectors.
Philanthropy
Beyond his work in private equity, Spaht is deeply involved in philanthropy. He is the president and chair of the Spaht Family Foundation, which he founded with his wife, Claire, in 2019. The foundation focuses on mental health, the arts, environmental conservation, and humanitarian assistance. The foundation is also the lead donor to the Lindley Center at Washington and Lee University.
