Smith-Wilson is currently Chief Marketing and Equity Officer for Horizon Media, the largest media agency in the U.S. and the world’s largest independent. In 2022, she made history in this industry-first role, leading a unified Marketing and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team charged with establishing a model that drives growth and innovation by operationalizing DEI as an enterprise-wide business function. She also serves on Horizon’s executive board and global task force and leads its marketing committee.

Formerly, Smith-Wilson was Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer for ESSENCE Communications, including ESSENCE magazine and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. She played a key role in transforming and reorganizing the company to rebuild its reputation and drive growth
— leading sales, marketing, content, creative, experiential, video, communications, and partnerships. She also served as Chief Communications & Strategy Officer for ESSENCE’s parent company, Essence Ventures. She played a pivotal role in launching the $100 million New Voices Fund and Foundation for women of color entrepreneurs and global franchises including the ESSENCE Full Circle Festival and Global Black Economic Forum: Africa.

Prior, Smith-Wilson served in the Office of the CEO as Senior Vice President of Communications & Strategy for Sundial Brands, maker of SheaMoisture. She led corporate brand, executive communications, brand launches, national media creative, and issues management, among other areas. Smith-Wilson guided the company through some of its most critical times including private equity investments, national crises, international expansion, and its 2017 acquisition by Unilever.

Previously, she was Senior Advisor to Marc Morial, the President & CEO of the National Urban League – the nation’s largest urban advocacy, civil rights, and economic justice NGO. There, she served on the Executive Cabinet, led strategy and CEO communications, and consulted on crisis/issues, government affairs, and key initiatives. She launched the $100 million Jobs Rebuild America effort, co-wrote the first joint federal policy agenda endorsed by all major civil rights groups, and was executive editor of the State of Black America (2014-2016).

Prior, Smith-Wilson was Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion at American Express, where she led an international HR/diversity team across Asia, Australia, and Europe, including women’s initiatives globally, Black employee initiatives in the U.S., and employee networks, as well as talent segmentation, unconscious bias, and cultural intelligence efforts.

Smith-Wilson joined American Express from Edelman, the world’s largest PR firm, where she served as Senior Vice President, Global Communications – leading internal and external communications, brand identity, and marketing across the firm’s 52 offices, including its annual Trust Barometer, good purpose study and New Media Academic Summit. Prior to this role, she led the Multicultural Practice as National Vice President. She began her Edelman career in Corporate Affairs.

Smith-Wilson also worked at Deloitte in National Marketing, leading messaging efforts across nine regions and began her career in journalism working at CNBC (U.S. & London) and UPN News (NY market).

She serves on the Board of retailer Ashley Stewart, Inc.; The Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis), a nonprofit educating young people and organizing for justice, equity, and training; and Harlem United, a $42 million community-based organization providing medical, social, and supportive services to clients suffering from homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. She previously served on the Board of the PRSA Foundation and as PRWeek’s Diversity & Inclusion columnist. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and received her bachelor's degree as a double-major in English and Communications from Wake Forest University and her master’s degree in Journalism from New York University.