Chris Smith

Executive summary

Chris Smith is Grant Thornton’s chief strategy officer and a member of the Executive Committee at Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. He helps shape and inform ongoing design and implementation of enterprise strategy, and serves as a subject matter expert to the firm’s leaders to help maintain and adapt strategic priorities based on shifting market dynamics.

Chris most recently served as the national Strategy Solution leader for the firm’s Strategy Solution practice for Advisory Services. He has managed hundreds of client engagements, both domestically and internationally, across several corporate functions and various industries. Chris joined Grant Thornton via the acquisition of a boutique strategy firm he founded in 2007. Prior to that, Chris gained his experience from various boutique and global management consulting firms.  

Chris’s experience focuses on designing and deploying future-ready strategies for clients wanting high, yet sustainable growth and then operationalizing the strategy across the organization. His depth of knowledge covers corporate strategy, sales, marketing and customer strategy, enterprise transformation, operational excellence, post-merger integration and culture design.  

Chris has sat on the Board of Directors of multiple companies across industries. He has also been published in a variety of leading publications including Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Chris received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management information systems from Saint Louis University.

Education

• Saint Louis University, BS in Accountancy & BS in Management Information Systems