This Story Posted:
April 30th

 
 

[3:24 PM]
Apple Alumnus Heidi Roizen Made Partner In Sotfbank
Apple Alumnus Heidi Roizen has been made a full partner and Mentor Capitalist in venture capitalist giant Softbank. Heidi was widely credited with rescuing software developer relations for Apple under Gil Amelio. Apple had a bleak record with many developers, but Ms. Roizen was able to keep many developers from leaving the fold. This was due in part because Ms. Roizen was herself a developer as well as the CEO of T/Maker. Ms. Roizen left Apple shortly after Steve Jobs took over the company in 1997. According to Softbank:

SOFTBANK Technology Ventures announced today that Heidi Roizen has joined the firm as a partner and mentor capitalist.

In this capacity Roizen will serve as an advisor to Softbank's current portfolio companies as well as participate as a principal in the SOFTBANK Technology Ventures V L.P., now being raised.

"We at Softbank are tremendously excited to have Heidi as a member of our team," said Gary Rieschel, executive managing director of Softbank Technology Ventures. "Her experience as a software company CEO as well as her operating experience running worldwide developer relations for Apple Computer and make her an invaluable asset to the companies we back."

"Since leaving Apple, I've been working as a free agent mentor capitalist with many technology firms," said Roizen. "This is a great opportunity for me to work with the world class team at Softbank and make their portfolio of companies even more successful."

Currently, Roizen serves on the boards of directors of Great Plains Software (Nasdaq:GPSI), Preview Systems, Softbook Press, and the Software Development Forum. She is also an advisory board member of Personic Software, Time Domain Corporation, Garage.com and the Microsoft Silicon Valley Developer Center. She also serves on the Stanford board of trustees Nominating Committee. Roizen will continue in these roles in addition to her Softbank responsibilities.

Prior to this, Roizen was VP of Worldwide Developer Relations for Apple Computer (Nasdaq:AAPL). Before joining Apple, she served for 13 years as CEO of T/Maker Company, a successful software developer and publisher. She is a past president of the Software Publisher's Association and has served as a Public Governor of the Pacific Exchange. She has a BA and an MBA from Stanford University.

Congratulations to Ms. Roizen and Softbank!

Softbank