What separates a good company from a great one? According to Antonio Pietri (B.S. ’89), it comes down to discipline, clarity and a team that understands how value is grown.
When Pietri returned to The University of Tulsa as the featured guest for the March Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Series event, he brought more than three decades of global leadership experience and a practical framework for how companies scale, compete and endure.
“A lot of good companies exist in the market,” he said, “but the companies that are great are fewer. It takes a special team to make greatness.”
Now CEO of PowerSchool and a member of the UTulsa Board of Trustees, Pietri began his career in a different field. A Venezuela native and second-generation UTulsa graduate, he earned a degree in chemical engineering before entering the software industry in 1989 – an unexpected shift that shaped his trajectory.
Throughout his talk, Pietri emphasized a gap he has observed across organizations: Many professionals lack a strong understanding of financial fundamentals. He stressed that building this foundation early is critical to long-term success.
“You do a great service to your team if you give them ‘Finance 101,’” he noted, pointing to the importance of understanding profit and loss statements, balance sheets and the metrics that guide decision-making.
Drawing on his time as CEO of Aspen Technology, Pietri outlined how companies move from solid performance to market leadership. The transition, he explained, requires sharp focus on key drivers such as cost structure, productivity and long-term value creation. With a large portion of costs tied to people, leaders must balance growth with efficiency.
He also addressed how enterprise value is determined in the software industry, an area that continues to shift alongside market conditions and emerging technologies. The rise of artificial intelligence has introduced new questions about how companies will sustain and build future value.
“What is AI going to do to software companies?” Pietri asked, challenging assumptions that automation will simply reduce future cash flows. Instead, he encouraged a more thoughtful view of how innovation reshapes opportunity.
Pietri’s message was that value is built through informed decisions over time. Even small improvements – how resources are allocated, measured and scaled – can significantly impact long-term outcomes.
Now leading a company that supports more than 60 million students, Pietri’s work reflects a broader focus on the role of technology in education, which he believes is one of the most powerful forces for positive change.
For more information about the Friends of Finance or to register for upcoming events, visit utulsa.edu/fof.