Akiba Smith-Francis, based in New York, belongs to Egon Zehnder’s Consumer and Private Equity practices, focusing on Consumer Goods, Retail and Luxury Goods, and Media, Sports and Entertainment.
It is a privilege to be able to identify and support transformational leaders of character. Effective leadership can be a force for good in the world.
Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Akiba was a Director and Partner at leadership advisory firm YSC Consulting. There, she led the Executive Coaching Practice for the Americas and served as a member of the Americas Leadership Team. Before that, she served as a Senior Consultant with The Exetor Group, helping strengthen the integration of people leadership and business impact for long-term organizational success. She began her career at McKinsey & Company before transitioning to brand management at The Clorox Company.
Akiba earned a BA in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. She also has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. A sixth generation New Yorker, Akiba has returned to her home city after having lived and worked across the United States and in Central America and the Caribbean.
