Peter Seidler (1960-2023)
In Memoriam
Peter Seidler served as an owner of the San Diego Padres from 2012-23 and Chairman from 2020-23, reshaping the franchise with sizable investments that significantly improved the team, the ballpark, and the community. On the field, the Padres built an impressive roster of star players and made major commitments to several of them, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, and homegrown Joe Musgrove. The 2020 Padres ended a 14-year playoff drought by advancing in the post-season and winning their first-round playoff series against the St Louis Cardinals. The 2022 Padres went a step farther, advancing to the National League Championship Series by upsetting two 100-win teams, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. The heavy underdog Padres¡¯ series-clinching win over the Dodgers, in front of a deafening sellout crowd at Petco Park, will forever be a cherished moment in San Diego sports history.
Under Peter¡¯s leadership, the team invested meaningfully to enhance city-owned Petco Park and create a best-in-class fan experience. It is now regarded as one of the best and most family-friendly sports venues in the country and has been USA Today¡¯s #1 Ballpark for several years in a row. Petco Park has hosted MLB post-season games (2020 and 2022), the 2016 MLB All-Star Game, the 2017 World Baseball Classic, several other sports events, and a growing number of concerts and other community events. This fulfilled the Padres¡¯ long-standing ¡®More than a Ballpark¡¯ promise to the community. During the pandemic, Petco Park became the first Covid vaccine superstation in San Diego County, and one of the first in the country.
Off the field, Peter and the Padres were impactful leaders in the community. Under Peter¡¯s leadership, the Padres Foundation increased its annual donations by more than 10-fold, dramatically enhancing support for underserved communities in San Diego and Baja. The Padres also strengthened relationships with local organizations, such as Rady Children¡¯s Hospital, Monarch School, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs, Build A Miracle, and Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD). Large-scale legacy grant projects were undertaken in 2016 for the MLB All-Star Game, and in 2019 to celebrate the franchise¡¯s 50th anniversary. In addition, Padres Pedal the Cause raised over $18 million for local cancer research.
Peter¡¯s primary personal mission was relieving the suffering of the homeless. In 2017, in collaboration with San Diego¡¯s political, business, and philanthropic leaders, Peter formed the ¡°Tuesday Group,¡± which still meets weekly to address homelessness in San Diego. This group¡¯s primary goal is to render much-needed aid to the most vulnerable segments of the homeless population. His efforts to push San Diego to develop and implement ¡°best practices¡± to address homelessness resulted in several honors acknowledging his contributions on this key issue. These included the 2017 San Diego Public Official of the Year awarded by the Building Owners and Managers Association, the 2017 San Diego Nice Guy of the Year, the 2018 National Conflict Resolution Center Annual Peacemaker Award, and the 2018 San Diego Downtown Partnership Founder Award. In 2019, Peter joined the board of directors of VVSD and was one of two private citizens added to the ¡°Leadership Council¡± for San Diego¡¯s Homelessness Reduction Plan. Peter was later named the 2022 San Diegan of the Year by the San Diego Union Tribune and was honored with the Herb Klein Spirit of San Diego Award by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2023.
Peter was a co-founder and Managing Partner of Seidler Equity Partners (SEP), a private equity investment firm that provides capital and management support to founders of entrepreneurial companies across the United States and Australia. SEP was established in 1992 and currently manages over $5 billion in assets. For over 30 years, SEP¡¯s goal has been to support entrepreneurs with both strategic backing and capital in a variety of industries, including enthusiast consumer brands, multi-site services, value-added manufacturing, and business service platforms. The firm's philosophy is to apply a patient partnership approach to help entrepreneurs and their companies continue on a path of success, job creation, and operational excellence.
As a two-time cancer survivor (Non-Hodgkin¡¯s Lymphoma), Peter, along with his wife, Sheel, focused their philanthropic activities on health and medical issues, particularly children impacted by homelessness. They have also supported numerous charities, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the American Cancer Society, Home Start (San Diego¡¯s charity targeting the prevention of child abuse), and various health and wellness initiatives at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Peter was a significant donor to and a founding member of the Stand Up To Cancer Legacy Endowment Circle and a primary donor to the Lucky Duck Foundation (San Diego¡¯s leading homelessness charity). Peter was a member of the Board of Trustees and chaired the Student Affairs Committee at the University of San Diego. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), an independent non-profit medical research organization in La Jolla, CA.
Peter earned a bachelor's degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife (Sheel) and their three children as well as his mother (Terry Seidler) and nine brothers and sisters.