Allan Smith is senior vice president; president, Americas; and chief product officer for Steelcase Inc., the company that helps people do their best work by creating places that work better.
Allan is a seasoned executive in the office furniture industry, known for his exceptional leadership in driving product innovation through insightful strategies, a customer-centered approach and commitment to human-centered design. Throughout his 30+ year tenure, he has achieved remarkable revenue growth and diversification by successfully leading the company’s recent acquisitions.
In his current dual role, Allan provides regional leadership and accountability for the Americas business, focused on strategy, execution, driving profitability, and leading the design and development of innovative and competitive products.
Previously, Allan was chief revenue officer, responsible for all global revenue-generating functions at the company. His leadership spanned Steelcase Workspace Futures, Global Design and Product Engineering, Marketing, Communications, and Sales, driving insights into the future of work and ensuring the development and launch of products would meet emerging customer needs.
Prior to this role, Allan served as vice president, global marketing at Steelcase, where he led all global marketing functions. This included strategic oversight of the company’s product portfolio, lifecycle management, product development and launch, communications, and branding efforts. He and his teams were instrumental in translating research and insights into innovative products and applications.
Allan was also previously vice president of marketing for Steelcase in Europe, where he led cross-functional teams in research, product development, engineering, design, and marketing communications. His extensive experience since joining the company in 1991 includes leadership roles in environmental strategy and various marketing and communications capacities at both Steelcase and Designtex.
Beyond his professional life, Allan has dedicated time to the Leelanau Conservancy and the Grand Rapids Public Museum, contributing to the preservation of natural spaces and the enrichment of community culture.
Allan earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.