Bill Campbell, a legendary mentor to some of Silicon Valley’s most important entrepreneurs and executives including Steve Jobs and Larry Page, has died at age 75. He had been suffering from cancer. Mr. Campbell, who served as president, chief executive and chairman of financial software maker Intuit Inc., became far better known for advising tech leaders. That activity earned him the nickname, “The Coach.”

The gruff, bear hug-dispensing Campbell worked at Apple as a marketing executive in the 1980s and was appointed to the Apple board when Jobs returned to the company in 1997. He was chief executive officer of financial-software firm Intuit for five years in the 1990s and served as its chairman until January.

Campbell often found himself at the center of Silicon Valley’s most sensitive battles between outsize personalities. In 2011, when Steve Jobs started railing against onetime ally Google for developing the Android mobile operating system to compete with Apple’s iPhone, Campbell advised both companies and was caught squarely in the middle. He somehow walked the tightrope and maintained both relationships.

Campbell is survived by his wife, Eileen Bocci Campbell, as well as his son and daughter, Jim Campbell and Margaret Campbell.