Jess Smith
Brooklyn,NY
Summary
Creator-first, chronically online marketing leader with 15 years in digital media and a decade at the forefront of the creator economy. I’ve built and scaled influencer programs from scratch, led high-performing creator partnerships and designed campaigns that fuse cultural insight with strategic impact. Now, I’m focused on getting back behind the scenes, building a community for high-performing, hyper-relevant creators, shaping platform-native storytelling and developing monetization strategies that deliver real value. Deeply immersed in digital culture and fluent in the language of both creators and audiences, I bring a data-centric approach to campaign building, community development and creator success.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
US VP of New Business
Socially Powerful
New York, NY
09.2024 - Current
- Launch and scale North American presence for a leading social and influencer marketing agency
- Develop and implement U.S. go-to-market strategy targeting high-growth B2C brands in various sectors
- Identify and secure high-value partnerships, managing all phases of the sales cycle
- Leverage my hands-on executional experience to lead proposal development for all U.S. new business, including but not limited to: directing pitch strategy, managing proposal creation and serving as the primary client contact through contract execution
- Build and lead the U.S. new business function, including recruitment and team management
- Create innovative new business development strategies to engage senior decision-makers at major brands, including the introduction of our Procurement-focused Influencer Marketing Masterclasses
- Maintain a comprehensive CRM pipeline to monitor opportunities and forecast growth
- Collaborate with leadership and cross-functional teams to localize offerings for the U.S. market
- Analyze industry trends and competitor activities to refine prospecting strategies
- Secured the largest, U.S.-sold contract with global heritage brand, Levi’s for $1M+ pilot contract within first six months of employment
- On target to achieve personal annual revenue target of $6M by EOY 2025
Global Head of Client Partnerships
TAKUMI
New York, NY
10.2023 - 09.2024
- Led the global delivery and client services teams (15 team members in total), implementing processes to enhance interdepartmental collaboration and standardize client service offerings across U.S. and U.K. offices
- Cultivated strategic relationships with enterprise-level partners, identified cross-market growth opportunities and managed a $10M+ portfolio for clients such as L’Oréal, Haleon, and Ferrero USA
- Achieved an average key account growth of 84% year-over-year from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024
- Served as the primary point of escalation for creator contracting, talent negotiations, crisis management and day to day execution
- Prepared quarterly business reports and budget reconciliations for enterprise-level clients
VP, Client Partnerships
TAKUMI
02.2022 - 10.2023
- Led the development of US-based revenue operations and sales strategy, including the standardization of outbound sales materials and the establishment of key performance indicators for team optimization
- Successfully recruited and developed a nationwide team of six sales associates, overseeing their onboarding, training and ongoing professional development
- Built strategic proposals and RFPs that enhanced client relationships and supported company-wide sales efforts, contributing to the acquisition and growth of enterprise-level accounts
- Established preferred partnerships and master services agreements with procurement teams, notably securing the company’s largest account with L’Oréal USA
- Sold $13.1M at an average deal size of $462,696 (compared to overall US average of $113K)
Managing Partner
TAKUMI
08.2020 - 02.2022
- Spearheaded new business development, securing enterprise-level accounts and expanding the agency’s client portfolio with the acquisition enterprise-level brands through proactive outreach, relationship building and tailored strategic proposals
- Continued to lead end-to-end influencer marketing campaigns, from strategic planning and creative development to execution and performance analysis, ensuring alignment with brand objectives and KPIs
- Acted as the primary point of contact for key clients, fostering long-term partnerships through high-touch service and results-driven execution
- Co-led agency operations, including team leadership, resource allocation and process optimization to support scalable growth
- Built and mentored a cross-functional team, emphasizing a creator-first approach rooted in cultural fluency and authenticity
- Collaborated with senior stakeholders to define agency positioning, service offerings and operational workflows in a high-growth startup environment
- Total Retained Revenue represented 82% of global company revenue
Sr Account Executive
TAKUMI
04.2019 - 08.2020
- Played a pivotal role in both new and repeat business wins by leading strategic pitches, identifying upsell opportunities and deepening existing client relationships
- Led influencer campaign strategy and execution for top-tier brands, managing creator partnerships, content development and campaign optimization
- Served as a bridge between clients and creators, translating marketing goals into culturally relevant and platform-native executions
- Mentored junior team members while shaping internal best practices around campaign planning and delivery
Account Executive
TAKUMI
05.2018 - 04.2019
- Owned full-cycle sales responsibilities, from prospecting and pitching to closing deals, contributing directly to agency revenue growth
- Built and managed relationships with brand partners, identifying opportunities for influencer-driven solutions aligned with client goals
- Led day-to-day execution of influencer marketing campaigns for said closed deals, including creator sourcing, outreach, contracting, and content QA
- Developed creative briefs and ensured campaign deliverables met brand standards and performance metrics
Account Manager
TAKUMI
04.2017 - 05.2018
- Played a key role in launching and establishing the new U.S. office for TAKUMI as one of the first hires
- Supported execution of influencer marketing campaigns, managing creator communication, timelines, deliverables, reporting and optimization
- Helped strengthen client retention through attentive service and effective content strategy alignment
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to support new business development opportunities, contributing to significant business growth
- Gained foundational experience in the creator economy and platform-based marketing
Education
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA01.2011
Skills
- Creator acquisition and onboarding
- Influencer relationship management
- Affiliate marketing
- Contract negotiation
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Strategic planning
- Platform strategy
- Client relationship management
- KPI development
- Technology sourcing
- Data analysis
- Budget management
- Public speaking
- Leadership and mentorship
Software Experience
- CRM Tools: Salesforce, Hubspot
- Prospecting Tools: Winmo, Apollo
- Influencer Marketing Technology: Traackr, Sprout Social, Tagger, Creator IQ, TRIBE, Aspire, Grin
- Project Management Tools: Slack, Monday, Asana
- Analytics & Social Intelligence Tools: Google Analytics, GWI, Brandwatch, TikTok One
- G Suite & Microsoft Office
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
US VP of New Business
Socially Powerful
09.2024 - Current
Global Head of Client Partnerships
TAKUMI
10.2023 - 09.2024
VP, Client Partnerships
TAKUMI
02.2022 - 10.2023
Managing Partner
TAKUMI
08.2020 - 02.2022
Sr Account Executive
TAKUMI
04.2019 - 08.2020
Account Executive
TAKUMI
05.2018 - 04.2019
Account Manager
TAKUMI
04.2017 - 05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
George Mason University
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