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Thomas M. Siebel

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Thomas M. Siebel is best known as the founder of Siebel Systems, the CRM software giant he built into a multi-billion dollar enterprise before its acquisition by Oracle in 2006 for approximately $5.8 billion. His work in customer relationship management laid foundational infrastructure for how enterprises collect, analyze, and act on customer data — capabilities that became central to modern AdTech and MarTech stacks. His influence on data-driven marketing and customer intelligence pipelines remains deeply embedded in enterprise advertising operations worldwide. After Siebel Systems, he founded C3 AI in 2009, positioning the company as a leading enterprise AI software provider. C3 AI's platform enables large organizations to deploy AI applications at scale, with use cases spanning predictive analytics, customer engagement optimization, and supply chain intelligence — all of which intersect with programmatic advertising, audience targeting, and marketing analytics. The company went public on the NYSE in December 2020, raising over $650 million in its IPO. Siebel holds degrees from the University of Illinois and has been a prominent voice on the transformative — and potentially disruptive — power of artificial intelligence in enterprise contexts. He authored the book 'Digital Transformation' (2019) and 'AI Superpowers and the Future of Work,' contributing thought leadership on how AI reshapes industries including media, marketing, and advertising technology. He is widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley's most consequential enterprise software entrepreneurs.

Last updated Sep 9, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment · Connections updated Sep 14, 2026

Role
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Company
C3 AI
Based
Redwood City, California, United States
Boards
3
Connections
1

AI-drafted from public sources1 source cited

Years in industry
30 years

Bio

Thomas M. Siebel is best known as the founder of Siebel Systems, the CRM software giant he built into a multi-billion dollar enterprise before its acquisition by Oracle in 2006 for approximately $5.8 billion. His work in customer relationship management laid foundational infrastructure for how enterprises collect, analyze, and act on customer data — capabilities that became central to modern AdTech and MarTech stacks. His influence on data-driven marketing and customer intelligence pipelines remains deeply embedded in enterprise advertising operations worldwide. After Siebel Systems, he founded C3 AI in 2009, positioning the company as a leading enterprise AI software provider. C3 AI's platform enables large organizations to deploy AI applications at scale, with use cases spanning predictive analytics, customer engagement optimization, and supply chain intelligence — all of which intersect with programmatic advertising, audience targeting, and marketing analytics. The company went public on the NYSE in December 2020, raising over $650 million in its IPO. Siebel holds degrees from the University of Illinois and has been a prominent voice on the transformative — and potentially disruptive — power of artificial intelligence in enterprise contexts. He authored the book 'Digital Transformation' (2019) and 'AI Superpowers and the Future of Work,' contributing thought leadership on how AI reshapes industries including media, marketing, and advertising technology. He is widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley's most consequential enterprise software entrepreneurs.

Career

Roles with a cited source. All linked roles are in the Roles tab.

Expertise & education

Expertise

Enterprise AI SoftwareCustomer Relationship Management (CRM)Predictive AnalyticsData-Driven MarketingDigital TransformationMachine Learning at ScaleCustomer Data PlatformsEnterprise SaaS

Education

  • BA, History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • MBA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • MS, Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Speaking topics

Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Digital TransformationThe Future of AI in Business and MarketingCRM and Customer Data StrategyAI Ethics and GovernanceEntrepreneurship and Scaling Technology Companies

Recognition

Notable achievements

  • Founded Siebel Systems in 1993 and grew it to over $2 billion in annual revenue before selling to Oracle for ~$5.8 billion in 2006
  • Founded C3 AI and led its NYSE IPO in December 2020, raising over $650 million
  • Pioneered enterprise CRM software that became the backbone of customer data infrastructure used in modern AdTech and MarTech
  • Authored 'Digital Transformation' (2019), a widely cited book on AI adoption in enterprise industries

Awards

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the YearForbes Most Powerful People in Business (multiple years)Named one of Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans in Business

Publications

  • Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction (2019)
  • Cyber Rules: Strategies for Excelling at E-Business (1999)
Connection details