Biography:Tom Hale
Tom Hale (born September 5, 1968) is an American business executive who is the current CEO of Oura, the company behind the Oura Ring. Previously, he held leadership roles at HomeAway and Linden Lab as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, respectively, and held executive roles at Macromedia and Adobe.
Early Life and Education
Hale was born to Linda Locke Howe and Edward Everett Hale IV, who were married[1] in Bristol, Rhode Island. Raised in Reno, Nevada, Hale attended McQueen High School, where he played soccer, before transferring to Reno High School. During his time in Reno, he also worked at the popular café Deux Gros Nez. He then attended The Thacher School in Ojai, California, graduating in 1986. He later attended Harvard College and was graduated in 1990.
After completing his education, Hale moved to Los Angeles and eventually settled in San Francisco in 1994. Later, he lived in Texas from 2010 to 2017 before returning to the Bay Area, where he currently resides.
Hale is a descendant of both the American Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale and the prominent author and clergyman Edward Everett Hale.
Career
Hale began his tech career in 1994 at Fauve Software until the company's acquisition by Macromedia in 1995. At Macromedia, he held multiple roles, overseeing product launches like Studio MX and strategic acquisitions, including Allaire. After Adobe acquired Macromedia in 2005[2], Hale became SVP, overseeing the redesign of Acrobat 8.
In 2010 to 2017, he was Chief Product officer and later COO at HomeAway/VRBO, before the company's sale to Expedia[3].
From 2017 to 2023, Hale was president at SurveyMonkey, guiding it through an IPO[4] and a rebrand to Momentive. In 2023, he became CEO of Oura[5].
Personal Life
Hale was an early adopter of the “Backgammon for Blood” philosophy, and carries this ethos into his recreational backgammon play.
References
- ↑ "MISS LINDA L. HOWE, E. E. HALE 4TH WED". https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/17/archives/miss-linda-l-howe-e-e-hale-4th-wed.html.
- ↑ "Adobe Buys Macromedia for $3.4 Billion". https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/19/technology/adobe-buys-macromedia-for-34-billion.html.
- ↑ "Expedia to Acquire HomeAway for $3.9 Billion". https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/business/dealbook/expedia-to-acquire-homeaway-for-3-9-billion.html.
- ↑ "SurveyMonkey surges 42% in market debut, ends trading at $17 a share". 26 September 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/26/surveymonkey-svmk-ipo-stock-starts-trading-on-the-nasdaq.html.
- ↑ "ŌURA Names Tom Hale as New Chief Executive Officer". https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220422005497/en/%C5%8CURA-Names-Tom-Hale-as-New-Chief-Executive-Officer.
External Links
- Tom Hale at O'Reilly Media
- Tom Hale at Crunchbase
- Interview with Hale during 2008 Dot.com and financial crisis
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