Keith Smith
Senior Engineering Leader | Growth Platforms | AI-Enablement
Engineering leader with 20+ years of experience leading product-aligned technical teams across enterprise and growth-stage environments. Brings a rare blend of Fortune 500 scale and startup urgency, including rebuilding fractured organizations, scaling intelligent platforms, and shipping systems that restore trust and accelerate execution. Known for driving high-stakes transformation through architectural rigor, operational clarity, and deep product fluency.
Architected and led enterprise-scale initiatives at LinkedIn powering $15B+ in revenue, including global GTM data systems and a low-code enablement strategy adopted across the org. Trusted by product, analytics, and engineering leaders alike to unify priorities and drive sustainable velocity in ambiguous environments.
Experience
Mar 2023 – May 2025
Head of Engineering, Enterprise Platforms
Led engineering and cross-functional teams delivering enterprise
platforms powering LinkedIn’s $15B go-to-market ecosystem. Oversaw
five concurrent application and platform workstreams across Sales
Pipeline, Compensation, and
Analytics. Served as technical escalation point, program architect,
and operational lead across strategic roadmap, systems
modernization, and AI-enhanced analytics and applications.
Apr 2018 – Mar 2023
Engineering Manager, Enterprise Applications
Directed global platform and systems engineering initiatives supporting LinkedIn’s GTM revenue growth from $4B to $15B. Led cross-functional roadmap development, platform modernization, and stakeholder alignment across data, forecasting, and infrastructure domains. Managed distributed teams delivering scalable applications and services for operations, marketing, and customer success.
Mar 2015 – Apr 2018
Head of Engineering
Led engineering for Boost’s C2B marketplace platform during a high-stakes pivot to AI-enabled ad creation. Directed a 50+ person global org across engineering, product, UX, and data science. Partnered with Google to reposition the platform for intelligent, scalable content generation and future-proof growth.
Mar 2015 – Jan 2016
Principal Software Engineer
Acted as lead architect during the system overhaul, partnering with cross functional teams to reshape product delivery.
Mar 2014 – Mar 2015
Lead Solution Architect
Delivered modernization projects for TIBCO’s enterprise clients in retail and loyalty programs. Responsible for architecture, implementation, and client alignment.
Mar 2012 – Mar 2014
Development Manager
Rebuilt engineering culture and funnel performance after team turnover. Led SEO-focused engineering initiatives to drive user growth and conversion.
Results
Stabilized $500M+
Revenue-Critical Systems
At LinkedIn, designed and implemented scalable engineering frameworks that stabilized operations and restored trust in systems tied to $500M+ in annual revenue.
Reduced Forecasting
Errors by 90%
Led cross-functional resolution of high-priority data failures, reducing reporting inaccuracies by 90% and improving forecasting accuracy across LinkedIn’s $15B global sales organization.
Unlocked $10M in
Operational Savings
Enabled $10M in annual cost savings by introducing low-code Azure automation tools and launching self-service apps that streamlined workflows, improved team velocity, and reduced dependency on manual support.
Expertise
Platform Strategy, Application Development & Modernization
Enterprise Applications & Platform Engineering
Cross-Functional Roadmap Execution
Data Integrity & Reliability
Low-Code & No-Code Enablement
ML-Driven Applications & AI Integration
Stakeholder Alignment & Executive Reporting
Engineering Org Design & Leadership Coaching
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Computer Science & Engineering
Meet Keith
Testimonials
Bo Xing, Senior Engineering Manager, LinkedIn
“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Keith, together building technologies for transforming how LinkedIn does business. Over the past 5 years, as leaders of two teams responsible for seamlessly integrated system components, Keith and I have successfully delivered numerous impactful projects and achieved significant milestones. Keith consistently brings a positive energy to his team, partner teams, and stakeholders. His attention to detail spans everything from development and testing to operations. He ensures clarity across the board, from vision and roadmap to project requirements. Keith’s curiosity drives him to explore new ideas hands-on, making him a seasoned engineering leader who adds immense value to any organization.”
Alan Freedman, Director of Data Engineering, Boost Media
“As a leader, Keith turns chaos into order, and effort into outcomes. I had the pleasure of working with Keith at two different companies, where he managed both on and off-shore software development organizations. At Boost Media, he took over the engineering department after the workforce was downsized, and managed to increase both output and morale–halting all attrition. At Pearl.com, he instituted processes and standards for a large Ukrainian software team that increased both output and quality. With his deep technical background, he commands the respect of his colleagues. Despite these achievements, he’s a modest down-to-earth person who is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Keith for a leadership position in a software development organization.”
Nathan Piazza, Director of Customer Experience, Sigma Ratings
“Keith is the kind of manager that every developer wants leading his team. First of all, he’s got a fun, laid back demeanor – a pleasure to work with. But he is also laser-focused on maintaining tight scope, clearly defining deliverables and requirements, and giving the team exactly what it needs to continuously produce high quality code. At the same time, Keith is keenly interested in new technologies and encourages his people to explore new technologies and try different approaches. He has a unique ability to simultaneously keep the team’s productivity engine in high gear while finding time to reach for the next frontier.”
Q&A
Why did you choose your profession?
I received my first computer at the age of 13 and have been hooked ever since. I am passionate about using technology to solve business problems, and the field of Software Engineering has enabled me to turn this passion into a fulfilling career.
Who are your main influences?
I find Kenneth Chenault, Charles Phillips, and Colin Powell to be influential role models in my career. Their exceptional accomplishments in their respective fields, dedication to leadership and innovation, and commitment to promoting diversity, economic opportunity, and responsible public service have significantly shaped my perspective.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Lead architect of next generation network management system leveraged by the DoD to manage their global telephony network.
What tools do you use?
JIRA, Azure, AWS, Visual Studio Code, Viva Goals, AHA, Figma, Git Hub Copilot
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your profession?
To be intentional with your engineering career, define your goals, continuously learn and improve, develop strong problem-solving skills, build a professional network, and pursue opportunities that align with your passions and long-term vision. This includes both technical and soft skills, and prioritizing a growth mindset.
INTERESTS
Golf
Cooking
