Based in Miami, Lauren E. Smith is Managing Partner and Co-Leader of the Board practice. For over two decades, Lauren has built a track record of advancing strong corporate governance and effective board composition. She has partnered with clients to recruit standout board members who bring unique skills and perspectives to make a difference in the boardroom.

Lauren is widely regarded for helping companies build strategic, high-performing boards with multi-dimensional diversity and has placed board members at clients such as ITT, International Paper, John Hancock, Jacobs Engineering, Leggett & Platt, Urban Outfitters, Wiley, and Wynn Resorts.

For the last four years, Lauren National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Director 100 as a top governance professional in the country. Deeply committed to strong corporate governance and board composition, Lauren is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow and an NACD Certified Director.

She started her search career in 2000 with Egon Zehnder, where she helped design and execute the firm’s first board assessments. Before moving into executive search, Lauren had twelve years of experience leading marketing and strategy at two Fortune 50 companies — Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Motorola Inc. During her time at Motorola, she also led marketing and customer operations for a new wireless joint venture in Bogotá, Colombia.

Lauren has been quoted as an expert on executive and board recruiting in Directors & Boards, NACD Directorship, Entrepreneur Magazine, American Way Magazine, and the Miami Herald. She frequently speaks on board composition and refreshment. Lauren was named by the South Florida Business Journal as a Most Influential Businesswoman. Lauren is fluent in Spanish and has lived and worked in Europe and Latin America.

Education

MBA
Thunderbird School of Management

BS
Pennsylvania State University