Sustained growth comes from being intentional about how you operate, disciplined in how you execute, and willing to continuously evolve.
Chris Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Spaulding Ridge, an executive, board leader, and entrepreneur known for building and scaling businesses from startup to more than $2.5B in enterprise value. His unique blend of consulting insight and operational execution has driven growth across revenue, margin, culture, and innovation.
As CEO, Chris leads Spaulding Ridge with a focus on aligning strategy, people, and performance to drive sustained, enterprise-wide impact. His leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that growth is not accidental; it is designed, operationalized, and embedded into how organizations think and act.
Chris is also the Founding Partner of Valen Holdings, a platform he launched in 2011 to connect capital, expertise, and partnerships with companies and entrepreneurs seeking to disrupt the status quo. Through Valen, he has invested in and helped build businesses across industries, including real estate, software, retail, food and beverage, education, and sustainable technology.
Earlier in his career, Chris founded and served as CEO of Arryve, a boutique growth strategy firm he scaled from inception to national recognition before successfully selling to Grant Thornton. Following the acquisition, he held several senior leadership roles, including Chief Strategy Officer, which led all commercial operations (sales, marketing, and AI/innovation) and helped drive enterprise growth and transformation. Across his career, he has worked with startups, Fortune 50 companies, and private equity firms to unlock new avenues of growth and value creation.
Chris is an experienced board director and advisor, having served on corporate boards, including a $2B+ private company, where he has helped shape enterprise strategy and governance. He is also a recognized voice on digital transformation, AI, and high-performance culture, with insights featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, CIO Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal, and has spoken at leading corporate and governance forums.
Chris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems from Saint Louis University.