Lauren E. Smith

Lauren E. Smith is a Managing Director in the Miami office of Diversified Search Ray & Berndtson (DSRB). The global group was founded in 1965 and is the sixth largest search firm in the world with over 230 partners supported by more than 260 associates and researchers in 58 offices across 35 countries. Lauren has conducted senior-level executive search assignments for companies ranging from multinational corporations to high-growth early-stage organizations. Lauren began her search career with Egon Zehnder International.

In her executive search practice, Lauren works closely with companies to help them build powerful executive teams and boards of directors. She conducts board-level senior-level executive search assignments including C-level, president and vice president positions for companies ranging from multinational corporations to high-growth early-stage organizations. She specializes in working with companies that are growing and/or transforming into new markets and businesses.  She has broad array of experience in corporate governance including board assessment and board of director placements.  She is valued by clients for her ability to understand the company’s strategic direction, her skills at assessing the cultural fit of candidates and her dedication to quality and timeliness. Ms. Smith has placed executives and or board members at clients such as DHL, Office Depot, Rinker Materials, Apple, Novell, Tupperware and Citrix.

Before moving into executive search in 2000, Lauren had twelve years of experience in marketing and strategy for Fortune 50 companies.  She served as Global Marketing Manager and as Director Business Development for Motorola, where she led sales & marketing efforts to break into new markets. She also served a Motorola joint-venture as Vice President, Marketing & Customer Operations in Bogotá, Colombia, where she created and managed the brand and marketing team for this start-up wireless communications network services operation. At Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Ms. Smith held several marketing roles where she developed and executed new business entry strategies. 

She has lived and worked in Europe and Latin America. She is fluent in Spanish and has a BS from the Pennsylvania State University and a MBA in international business from Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management.

Lauren  has been a guest lecturer at Nova South Eastern University. She has also been quoted as an expert on executive and board recruiting in Entrepreneur Magazine, American Way Magazine, the Miami Herald and South Florida CEO Magazine.

Ms. Smith is a founder and is on the Advisory Board of the National Association of Corporate Directors Florida Chapter.   She is a Board of Directors Member, Trustee and past Chair of Chairman’s Circle of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Board of Governors for the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business & Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University.  She has also served on the Cabinet of the Miami-Dade United Way. Lauren  served on the board of Women Executive Leadership where she spearheaded their initial census - the first ever look at the number of women on the boards of Florida top 150 public companies.