Akiba Smith-Francis, based in New York, belongs to Egon Zehnder’s Consumer, Sustainability and Public and Social Sector practices. Within Consumer she focuses on the Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods industries. Akiba is also active in the Supply Chain Officers Practice and does considerable leadership development work, specifically executive coaching.
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.
