Bill Campbell, a beloved mentor to some of the technology industry’s biggest names, passed away on Monday after a long battle with cancer.
A former football coach turned “nerd whisperer,” as Fortune senior editor Jennifer Reingold described him in a 2008 profile, Campbell taught an industry almost entirely focused on tech products how to consider the humans building them. He was also a quiet champion for women in tech, a feat not easy by any measure in the male-dominated business.
Campbell spent time at Apple in its early days as VP of marketing and later as board member, earning him the highest praises from Steve Jobs, and later ran tablet computer company GO. He was also CEO of Intuit.
As news of his passing spread, many of Campbell’s friends and colleagues took to social media to celebrate his life and share their recollections about him.
Apple CEO Tim Cook:
Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz:
Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo:
Apple executive Phil Schiller:
Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet:
Former Kleiner Perkins partner and Reddit CEO Ellen Pao:
Venture capitalist John Doerr:
Former Microsoft executive and investor Steven Sinofsky:
Venture capitalist John Lilly:
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner:
