Dr. Christie Smith

Dr. Christie Smith is a renowned leadership expert, visionary thinker, and founder of The Humanity Studio, a pioneering research and advisory institute dedicated to improving the way we live by revolutionizing the way we work. With over 35 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies and holding global leadership roles at Accenture, Apple, and Deloitte, Dr. Smith has shaped the future of leadership, talent strategy, and organizational culture across industries.

Born into a competitive household as the youngest of eight children, Dr. Smith learned early the importance of finding her unique voice. Her upbringing during a time of societal upheaval—marked by the Vietnam War, race riots, and the women’s movement—instilled in her a profound commitment to justice, service, and leveraging her talents to drive change. Influenced by her parents—a theology teacher and a shirt salesman turned executive— Dr. Smith embraced the belief that investing in people and creating a more equitable world are fundamental to the success of both business and society.

Dr. Smith’s academic foundation includes a doctorate in Clinical Social Work with a focus on leadership and culture from New York University. Her expertise spans leadership development, organizational design, workforce transformation, change management, DEI, and the integration of workforce technologies and AI. She has collaborated with leaders across industries, including life sciences, consumer goods, finance, and sports, drawing on her unique perspective as a former professional athlete to inspire high-performance teams.

Her career highlights include leading Accenture’s Global Talent & Organization practice, managing Deloitte’s West Region Consulting practice, and spearheading the creation of the Deloitte University Centers for Inclusion and Community Impact. At Apple, Dr. Smith played a pivotal role in advancing inclusion and diversity, fostering the growth and representation of women and underrepresented groups internally, and influencing product and retail solutions with a people-first approach.

Dr. Smith’s insights have been sought after by top-tier publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and Forbes. She is a celebrated speaker on leadership, business strategy, DEI, culture, and the transformative potential of workforce technologies, earning recognition as a Top 50 Diversity Leader and being featured in Fast Company’s Queer 50 list.

With The Humanity Studio, Dr. Smith continues her mission to place humanity at the heart of work. She is passionate about guiding today’s leaders through complex cultural, technological, and geopolitical challenges, advocating for a fundamental shift in how organizations engage and empower their people.