Dwight Smith

Principle embodied: Exploring With a Passion – X-Principle #5

Dwight Smith has 29 years of experience in the IT industry. His background includes sales, marketing, and management experience with IBM, P&L responsibility with Software Alternatives Incorporated and, for the past 18 years serving as CEO of Sophisticated Systems Incorporation, an IT consulting firm that he founded in 1990.

Mr. Smith was the founder, President & CEO of Sophisticated Systems, Inc., an IT consulting firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Smith was responsible for providing oversight and maintaining ultimate responsibility for all internal operations including strategy, finance/accounting, sales/marketing, service delivery, human resources, and the recruiting of leadership teams. While at Sophisticated Systems, Mr. Smith was effective in promoting personal growth among employees, providing mentoring and opportunities for skill and career development.

Mr. Smith was previously a Branch Manager at Software Alternatives, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. Before that, Mr. Smith was an Account Executive at Cullinet Software, Inc.

As a Marketing Manager at IBM, Mr. Smith’s marketing responsibilities involved executive marketing and the review of marketing plans that would ensure that revenue objectives would be met. His personnel duties involved assigning objectives, appraising individuals against those objectives, and establishing aggressive development plans to ensure that each individual’s skills were enhanced and opportunities for growth provided. His staff functions included reporting required information to regional, divisional, and corporate levels as required.

Mr. Smith was also an Advisory Regional Marketing Representative for IBM having started his career there as a Marketing Representative. Mr. Smith served as an Adjunct Professor in the MBA Program at Franklin University in 2006 and 2007, and he has been a guest lecturer in the past at The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from The Ohio State University in 1978 and an MBA in Finance from The Ohio State University in 1979.

Mr. Smith is very active in the Columbus community.  He and his company have a philosophy that "giving back" is not an option but an absolute requirement. His board involvement includes, being a member of the Governor’s Workforce Policy Advisory Board (Appointed by Governor Strickland), and a past Member of the Governor's Small Business Advisory Council (Appointed by Governor Taft). He is a past Board Member of the Columbus Technology Leadership Council and previously was the Board Chair of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

In addition, Mr. Smith provides consulting and coaching services for several small business owners and entrepreneurs in Central Ohio on a regular basis. He also provides input to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Columbus State Community College regarding the programs offered by these organizations to support small and emerging businesses.

Mr. Smith is an angel investor in the Ohio Tech Angel Fund (OTAF) and has made a number of investments in locally based firms.

Mr. Smith believes that it is an honor to be in a position to contribute to the community. In 1998 Mr. Smith established a non-profit foundation, JSS Foundation, to provide assistance to children in his community. He is committed to increasing the funding available to support multiple causes to enhance our community. This fund was later renamed the “TBTG – Thanks Be To God” Fund. In addition, a second fund was established to provide support for faith based organizations. In the spring of 2005 a scholarship fund was established to support local students graduating from Project Grad High Schools and continuing their education at Columbus State Community College. In 2008 the TBTG Fund committed to supporting schools in Tanzania beginning with the construction of a classroom slated for later this year.
 

Return to the Ambassadors Page