Lisa Cairns, PhD

“Smith’s supply chain leadership comes from our people’s deep expertise and agility to develop unique and impactful solutions,” said Lisa. “Collaboration across our global leadership is essential to enhancing our internal talent-development programs for all employees and deepening their thought leadership through strategic market knowledge and business acumen.”

Lisa holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Chicago and was a professor at major universities, including Texas A&M University and the University of Michigan. She was named Director of Learning and Development in 2017 and spearheaded the launch of our e-learning platform, Smith University, that same year. Lisa continues to architect the logic behind Smith’s innovative skills-development platform, which leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide fully customized learning opportunities for all Smith employees. She was named to her current role in 2023.

In her free time, Lisa is a competitive cyclist, enjoys riding her horses, and loves to cook and explore new restaurants.