The Philanthropist: Meet Cristóbal Conde
11/14/2014
This story originally appeared in Mount Saint Vincent’s 2014 Annual Report.
Cristóbal “Cris” Conde is an investor in start-up companies and a partner in a business incubator, a business support network that facilitates the growth of promising startups. Until 2011 Cris was president and CEO of SunGard, a software firm that he grew into a $5.6 billion Fortune 500 company, the largest privately-held business software and IT services company in the world.
Born in Santiago, Chile, Mr. Conde is a U.S. citizen and has a B.Sc. in astronomy and physics from Yale University. He serves on the boards of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including the University of Mount Saint Vincent. We sat down to talk with Cris about his decision to remember the Mount in his will, a gesture that, although not uncommon, tends to set a person apart by demonstrating a deep commitment to an institution.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: What prompted your decision to make a significant gift to the Mount in your will?
Cris Conde: I think a better question to ask me would be, “Cris, you did not attend this college, and you are not the parent of a student here. Why have you decided to become a major supporter of the Mount?”
The answer is that I believe deeply in the mission to make a liberal arts education accessible to students who have to surmount great obstacles to attend a first-rate college. I also believe deeply in that student—one of the first generation in their families to attend college. With a first-rate college education, I believe you can actually change society.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: Can you talk about the Mount’s long history of serving first-generation students?
Cris Conde: When I look at this institution’s track record for educating students who have the fewest advantages and the most to gain, I know that the Mount’s legacy of serving this type of student goes back decades. There was a time when “first-generation student” meant students who came from mostly Italian families. At another time it was mostly Irish families. Today the face of the first-generation student has changed, but the Mount’s commitment remains the same—to serve these young people and their families who are striving to better their lives and society.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: To whom do you give credit for the success of this commitment?
Cris Conde: I have faith in the very credible, excellent team that is leading this institution. The faculty, the leadership, the administration—this is a committed team of people who mean what they say.
I look for three things before I invest in a company: one, they must have a great product. Two, they need a plan for getting it to the people who need it. And three, there must be a strong need for it. That’s the kind of company I invest in. And it’s also why I want to support the Mount—it’s a different kind of investment, but the criteria are similar. It has a great product—a first-rate liberal arts curriculum with individualized attention to each student; its mission is to offer access to students with the greatest need and ability; and the world is hungry for this kind of well-rounded, well-educated individual who is learning to succeed in a highly diverse society.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: You have said that you believe that a Mount education can “move the needle.” Can you explain?
Cris Conde: I think your real question is, can Mount students change society? Yes, I believe they can. I went to Yale, where I earned a degree in astrophysics. Yale is a fine school and I am grateful for the education I received there. I could give money to Yale. But would it change society? I don’t think so. On the other hand, by being exposed to the rigorous standards and enriched environment at this college, the students here are being molded into exceptional individuals. As graduates, their potential to contribute to society and to their own families is limitless. So when you look at it that way, the Mount can actually move the needle.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: Say something about the thinking that went into your decision to leave a gift to the Mount after you are gone. What inspired you to make such a generous gesture?
Cris Conde: I started my first company with two friends, a credit card and about $6,000 in savings. That’s because I believed there were no limits on what I could achieve with hard work. Eventually it became one of the largest tech companies in the world with 26,000 employees. I’m an example of what a person can do, given the right education and a belief in one’s own potential. And I don’t think I’m done yet! That’s what I see all around me here—in the students, the leadership, and faculty: limitless potential.
So yes, I have named the University of Mount Saint Vincent in my will. But I’ve gone one step further. I feel so strongly about ensuring that the College receives the full amount I feel it deserves, I’ve included a clause that states if I were to die young, the Mount will get the full amount they would receive had I lived to a much greater age.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: As a trustee, you are often working behind the scenes to ensure the institution’s health and mission. How often do you interact with students?
Cris Conde: Students are often invited to College events that I attend, and I go to some of their events as well. I find them very personable, very poised, with great stories to tell. They have a certain special quality—they do well in spite of the hardships they may have suffered and the sacrifices their families have had to make. At the Mount, they are encouraged and guided as they surmount obstacles, and they are succeeding in spite of those obstacles. It’s inspiring and rewarding to know I am giving something of myself to continue this wonderful legacy.
University of Mount Saint Vincent: Do you have any parting thoughts?
Cris Conde: Everywhere you go on this campus, you can feel a powerful, positive energy. Every time you hear the president speak, every time one class graduates and another class comes in to take their place, you know this is a place that values rigor, encourages dreams, and demonstrates to its students that anything is possible.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.