With over 30 years of experience spanning commercial insurance, claims services, disaster response, real estate, international affairs, and emerging technologies, Johnnie Smith has built a dynamic career focused on client relationships, business development, and delivering solutions for complex risk environments.
Johnnie began her professional journey at Sentinel Real Estate, a leading institutional investor in multifamily housing, where she held progressive roles from Property Manager to Marketing and Training Director for the Eastern U.S. Her early experience provided a strong foundation in operations, client service, and managing complex portfolios.
Her transition into the insurance industry expanded her expertise in disaster recovery, restoration, and large-scale loss response. Johnnie served in executive leadership roles with national disaster response and restoration organizations, including Executive Vice President at Instar and Vice President of National Accounts at Interstate Disaster Restoration. In these roles, she worked closely with insurance carriers, brokers, adjusters, and clients to support complex property losses, catastrophe response, and recovery efforts. Her experience provided deep insight into the claims process and the critical role that coordinated response plays in helping organizations recover after significant events.
Johnnie’s global acumen was further developed through her work with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee, where she served as Vice President of International Relations. She managed high-level logistics, housing, and relationships for international dignitaries, demonstrating her ability to lead complex initiatives and build trusted partnerships across diverse stakeholders.
She later served as Eastern Group Director at Haas Publishing, overseeing operations across 46 U.S. markets, continuing to develop her expertise in national business development and strategic growth. Johnnie also gained international market expansion experience in the proptech space, where she launched the London market for the technology startup Inhabitr.
Currently, Johnnie serves as Senior Director – NE Business Development Leader for McLarens, a global leader in claims management and loss adjusting. In this role, she leads strategic business development initiatives across the Northeast, partnering with brokers, carriers, and risk professionals to deliver McLarens’ global claims expertise and specialized services to clients facing complex risks and losses.
Johnnie’s unique combination of insurance, claims, restoration, and business development experience allows her to bring a comprehensive perspective to the evolving needs of today’s risk and insurance marketplace.