Gregory Smith is an accomplished global finance executive, strategic business leader, and board advisor with 30 years of professional experience helping organizations navigate complexity, accelerate growth, and achieve sustainable operational excellence. His career spans North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia, where he has built a reputation for combining financial discipline with entrepreneurial thinking, cultural intelligence, and a results-oriented leadership philosophy. Having worked across multinational corporations, privately held enterprises, emerging businesses, and innovative startups, Gregory brings a distinctive perspective to corporate governance and strategic decision-making. He believes that meaningful leadership is defined not simply by financial performance, but by the ability to anticipate change, develop people, build enduring relationships, and transform challenges into opportunities.
Throughout his career, Gregory has demonstrated an exceptional ability to bridge financial strategy and operational execution. His expertise encompasses corporate finance, financial planning and analysis, risk management, corporate governance, international expansion, supply chain optimization, and organizational transformation. His leadership experience extends well beyond traditional finance functions, including responsibility for information technology, legal affairs, logistics, purchasing, internal audit, and business operations. This multidisciplinary background enables him to evaluate organizations holistically, identify opportunities that others may overlook, and develop strategies that balance immediate performance objectives with long-term enterprise value. Whether guiding established organizations through complex transitions or helping entrepreneurial ventures build foundational capabilities, Gregory approaches every challenge with analytical rigor, adaptability, and a commitment to measurable results.
Gregory currently serves as Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Food Cycle Science, a private equity-backed green technology company headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. In this position, he brings his extensive international finance and operational leadership experience to an innovative business operating at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and commercial growth. His role reflects a natural progression in a career increasingly focused on helping organizations translate innovation into sustainable business opportunities. Working within a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment, Gregory draws upon his experience in financial management, operational infrastructure, strategic planning, and organizational development to support the company’s evolving business priorities. His involvement in the green technology sector also demonstrates his interest in businesses that combine commercial ambition with meaningful environmental and societal impact.
Before joining Food Cycle Science, Gregory worked as an independent consultant from 2023 to 2025. His engagements included Bio Graphene Solutions, an innovative company developing organic graphene and graphite, where he collaborated with executive leadership on fundraising strategies, investor development tools, and market awareness. He also supported Fortescue, a major Australian energy, metals, and green technology organization, contributing to sustainability reporting, board documentation, internal audits, and post-acquisition risk assessments. Additionally, his work with CITIZN, a social media startup focused on government and democracy, involved developing five-year financial models, supporting fundraising activities, managing financial forecasts, and pursuing technology-related government incentives. These experiences strengthened his ability to move between corporate environments and early-stage businesses while maintaining a consistent focus on financial integrity, strategic opportunity, and disciplined execution.
From 2020 to 2023, Gregory served as Chief Financial Officer of Zwilling J.A. Henckels LLC, overseeing the financial and operational infrastructure of its United States business, representing approximately $300 million in annual sales. Leading a team of approximately 30 professionals, he held responsibility for financial planning and analysis, accounting, information technology, supply chain, logistics, taxation, legal oversight, purchasing, and internal audit. As a member of the executive leadership team, he worked closely with senior executives to strengthen performance, improve organizational efficiency, and navigate evolving consumer purchasing patterns. His leadership was particularly important as the company adapted to changing market conditions following the pandemic and accelerated its transition toward direct-to-consumer business models. Gregory helped reduce excess inventory by approximately 20% by the end of 2022, redesigned cash flow forecasting processes to eliminate unplanned funding requests to headquarters, and served as the United States finance lead on a $2.5 million acquisition. He also contributed to SAP migration planning and major distribution infrastructure initiatives, reinforcing his ability to connect financial strategy with operational execution.
A defining chapter of Gregory’s career was his nearly decade-long tenure with Tiffany & Co., where he advanced through senior leadership positions across emerging markets, integrated business planning, and the Americas. As Senior Finance Director for the Americas, he held financial responsibility for a regional business encompassing approximately $2 billion in sales and $1.4 billion in expenses, supporting operations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and other Latin American markets. He led financial planning, capital investment analysis, forecasting, risk management, and performance oversight for a retail network exceeding 110 stores. Among his notable accomplishments was leading the financial analysis and preparing the board presentation for Tiffany’s approximately $350 million flagship renovation project. He also partnered with operational leaders to implement overtime management improvements that reduced related expenses by 25%, redesigned workforce forecasting processes to reduce errors by more than 40%, and helped restructure sales compensation practices, contributing to a 16% reduction in employee sick time. These achievements illustrate his ability to translate complex financial information into practical strategies that strengthen profitability and organizational performance.
Gregory’s international leadership capabilities were especially evident during his tenure as Regional Chief Financial Officer for Tiffany & Co.’s Emerging Markets in Dubai. Beginning in 2011, he helped establish and expand the company’s regional presence across the Middle East, Africa, India, Turkey, Russia, and surrounding markets. As the region’s first finance hire and an early member of its leadership team, he played an instrumental role in building the financial organization, implementing systems, establishing internal controls, and supporting the creation of new retail companies in the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Working alongside regional executives, he contributed to sales growth exceeding 200% over three years while helping establish the infrastructure necessary for continued expansion. He also created a Sarbanes-Oxley-compliant financial organization in the UAE within nine months and developed a transfer pricing model that reduced local direct costs in Russia by approximately 15%. This experience reinforced one of Gregory’s defining leadership principles: successful international expansion requires more than financial expertise; it demands cultural understanding, relationship building, flexibility, and the willingness to adapt established practices to local realities.
Earlier in his career, Gregory developed his international finance and business transformation expertise through leadership positions with Landor & Fitch, part of the WPP Group, and Novartis. As Regional Finance Director in Doha, Qatar, he transitioned regional financial leadership responsibilities from London to the Middle East, building a finance organization that supported operations across Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. His work included strengthening internal controls, improving financial reporting, supporting business integration, and advising regional leadership on operational and strategic matters. Through process improvements, he reduced month-end closing times by approximately 30% and helped establish a compliance framework recognized positively by WPP auditors. Before that, as Head of Financial Reporting for Novartis in Cairo, Egypt, he oversaw reporting and consolidation activities across pharmaceutical business units, strengthened financial processes, and contributed to an SAP implementation. These formative international assignments broadened his understanding of regulated industries, cross-border operations, and the importance of maintaining financial accountability across diverse business environments.
Beyond his executive responsibilities, Gregory has cultivated meaningful experience in corporate governance, board advisory services, and nonprofit leadership. He has served as Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors for Internal Creations since 2017, supporting an organization dedicated to empowering young people through classical guitar education and personal development. His previous advisory roles include Bio Graphene Solutions, contributing his strategic and financial perspective to a business focused on sustainable material innovation, and EdUnity, a United Kingdom-based education technology company. Collectively, these engagements demonstrate his interest in organizations at different stages of maturity and his willingness to apply commercial expertise to initiatives with educational, technological, and societal significance.
Gregory’s approach to board service is grounded in the belief that effective directors must combine strategic foresight with practical operating experience. Having managed complex financial organizations, supported executive committees, evaluated acquisitions, and presented long-range business plans to senior leadership, he understands the importance of asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions constructively, and ensuring that decisions are supported by sound financial and operational analysis. His experience with public and private companies, international enterprises, private equity-backed businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures provides him with a versatile foundation for contributing to boards across industries. He is particularly well positioned to advise organizations navigating expansion, financial transformation, governance development, operational restructuring, capital allocation, and changing market dynamics. Rather than limiting himself to a single industry or company size, Gregory is drawn to opportunities where his expertise can create meaningful value.
Gregory holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Waterloo in Canada and maintains the professional designation of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Throughout his career, he has remained committed to professional growth, recognizing that the most effective leaders continually refine their knowledge as markets, regulations, technologies, and stakeholder expectations evolve. Fluent in English and French, Gregory brings additional versatility to international business relationships and cross-border collaboration.
At the heart of Gregory’s leadership philosophy is a strong belief in adaptability, continuous learning, and the power of human relationships. His career has taken him into environments where business practices, cultural expectations, and organizational structures differ substantially from those of Western markets. Rather than viewing these differences as obstacles, he has embraced them as opportunities to develop deeper understanding, strengthen partnerships, and discover new approaches to solving problems. He is energized by entrepreneurial environments where leaders must think creatively, remain accountable, and work collaboratively to achieve ambitious objectives. His ability to remain composed during uncertainty, establish trust across diverse teams, and balance financial discipline with innovation has become a distinguishing feature of his professional identity.
As Gregory continues to expand his board and advisory involvement, he brings a renewed sense of purpose and a clear understanding of the value he can contribute. His interest in additional board opportunities reflects a desire to diversify his professional engagements, establish meaningful relationships with innovative leaders, and help organizations address complex challenges while pursuing sustainable growth. With a career spanning established global brands, emerging markets, entrepreneurial ventures, and mission-driven organizations, he offers boards a combination of financial sophistication, operational insight, international perspective, and practical judgment. Above all, Gregory believes that lasting business success comes from the ability to embrace change, empower people, make informed decisions, and consistently turn strategic possibilities into measurable results.
Character:
Gregory exemplifies integrity, resilience, cultural sensitivity, and a genuine commitment to helping organizations and individuals succeed through periods of growth and transformation. His collaborative leadership style, dedication to mentorship, and involvement in nonprofit and sustainability-focused initiatives reflect a professional philosophy centered on accountability, adaptability, and meaningful impact.
Knowledge:
With 30 years of professional experience spanning corporate finance, international operations, strategic planning, risk management, and corporate governance, Gregory possesses a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence organizational performance. His leadership across luxury retail, consumer goods, design, technology, and sustainability-driven businesses enables him to contribute informed perspectives to complex business challenges and opportunities.
Strategic:
Gregory combines financial discipline with entrepreneurial vision to identify growth opportunities, strengthen operational performance, and guide organizations through changing competitive environments. His record of managing multibillion-dollar regional operations, supporting international expansion, executing acquisition initiatives, and improving business processes demonstrates his ability to translate long-term strategic objectives into measurable outcomes.
Communication:
An accomplished executive communicator who has presented financial strategies, operational performance, and major investment proposals to boards, executive committees, and senior leadership teams across international markets. His ability to build trust, communicate complex information clearly, and engage stakeholders from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds strengthens collaboration and supports confident, informed decision-making.
