Coraetta Smith

My expertise is building the technology and process foundation that allows a company to soar—leading the transition to a high-growth business that operates in a smooth, efficient, user-friendly, and customer-focused manner.It’s what I’ve done throughout my career, first in a 9-year stint at Adobe (while the company doubled in size), later as a consultant to Fisher Investments, and now as Senior Director & Chief of Staff, Office of the CIO, at Zendesk.Software and technology innovations spring from the startup world, where ideas bloom and success often follows. But when processes haven’t evolved, when inefficiency and inconsistency are hindering growth, it’s time to bring new discipline and maturity. That’s where I come in. I love the challenge of building the infrastructure without squashing the entrepreneurial spirit—in fact, making it easier for innovation to flow from idea to implementation.My broad technical expertise is balanced by a deep understanding of business processes and strong influencing/communication/team leadership skills. I deliver business value by streamlining operations and creating structure. Often that’s meant envisioning and building functions that have not previouslyexisted—but that make everyday tasks easy to accomplish and become essential to continued growth. For example:► At Adobe, I envisioned and launched the company’s first dedicated practices for Application Support, Release Management, and Quality Assurance. Other solutions paved the way for the transition from desktop apps to subscription/cloud-based services.► At Fisher Investments, technical problems were impeding efficiency and customer service. I led transformations in process automation, technology configuration, and IT service management that removed those obstacles.► In the two years at Zendesk, I created a Portfolio Management function, Change Management Center of Excellence, and “First and Best Customer” strategy. Zendesk recently reached $1B in revenue and remains on a fast track to further growth!For fun I enjoy creating desserts that look like works of art. A former gymnast and dancer, I love attending gymnastics and performing arts events, and I’m an avid supporter of arts and education in my community.Bottom line: I’m a mix of creativity and technical acumen, artistic vision and math/problem-solving skills. It’s a combination that has led to a fascinating career and a record of “firsts” that have helped companies grow.