Ahmad Thomas

Ahmad Thomas is the CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), one of the nation’s most dynamic business associations representing the global technology companies driving the innovation economy and its ecosystem. A former investment banker and senior Congressional aide, he brings two decades of experience working both in and on behalf of businesses, social enterprises, and governments, where he has honed a cross-functional skill set grounded in finance, purpose-driven growth, strategy, business development, public policy, and communications, with a deep working knowledge of the practice and application of stakeholder capitalism principles.

Thomas has catalyzed industry-leading initiatives to harness the potential of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, creating the Institute for California AI Policy (I-CAP) to help shape the regulatory posture needed to support its development and further deployment. He has also focused efforts with global technology brands to operationalize change around inclusion and belonging, implementing a partnership strategy for SVLG to diversify STEM talent pipelines by piloting a first-of-its-kind alliance with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and leading Silicon Valley companies. Thomas spearheaded the development and successful execution of a strategic plan to modernize firm-wide operations, streamline organizational design via the creation of three new Centers of Expertise, and implement a diversified revenue model to achieve scale.

Prior to joining SVLG in 2020, Thomas worked for a decade as an investment banker at Barclays, where he managed over $15 billion in debt financings. He specialized in structuring and financing public infrastructure, social impact, and development projects across multiple sectors. Thomas held a variety of important roles during his tenure, including leading state of California and Silicon Valley regional municipal banking teams, as well as leading the Firm’s public sector coverage of social impact engagements in the 13 western U.S. states. He served on the 8-member global advisory board for Barclays’ Social Innovation Facility, charged with strategically aligning internal investments with sustained social and environmental impact.

Thomas was lead banker on several innovative transactions, most notably executing the first-ever Social Bonds issue for a non-profit in the U.S. municipal bond market. This landmark deal received multiple awards, including the “Social Project Bond of the Year” by Environmental Finance. Thomas was recognized as a “Rising Star” by The Bond Buyer, the leading municipal bond market publication. He also received a prestigious Barclays Global Citizenship and Diversity Award for his work as a deal team lead enabling sustainable growth.

Thomas began his professional career as an aide to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on Capitol Hill, where he served as the lead advisor on finance and economic policy.

He serves on several boards aligned with his core passions around technology, sports and adventure, and helping underserved communities. This currently includes the Bay Area Host Committee, California Partners Project, HealthRIGHT 360, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), San Jose Symphony, and SVLG Foundation. Thomas has volunteered time in advisory roles at multiple start-up companies and was selected in 2023 as a “Top 50 Diverse Board Candidate” by the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence and Equilar.

He is an American Leadership Forum, Senior Fellow and is included in the Silicon Valley Business Journal "Power 100" - a list of the most influential people working in Silicon Valley today. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.