Billy Smith
About Billy Smith
Billy Smith serves as the Managing Director of Digital Risk and Email Protection at Fortra, where he has worked since 2022. He has extensive experience in sales and engineering roles across various companies, including Dell SecureWorks and PhishLabs, and holds a BS in Mathematics from The Citadel.
Current Role at Fortra
Billy Smith serves as the Managing Director of Digital Risk and Email Protection at Fortra since 2022. In this role, he focuses on overseeing the digital risk landscape and email protection strategies. His leadership includes expanding the scope of responsibilities to incorporate Clearswift and Agari in mid-2022, as well as Terranova Security in late 2023. This demonstrates his adaptability and capability in managing multiple acquisitions effectively.
Previous Experience in Cybersecurity
Billy Smith has extensive experience in the cybersecurity sector, having held various roles at Dell SecureWorks. His positions included Director of Engineering, VP of Sales Engineering, and Enterprise Account Manager. He contributed to the company's sales strategy and operational efficiency over a span of several years. Additionally, he served as Executive Vice President at PhishLabs, where he led global sales and corporate development from 2018 to 2022.
Education and Academic Background
Billy Smith studied at The Citadel, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from 1993 to 1997. His educational background laid a strong foundation for his analytical skills and problem-solving abilities, which he has applied throughout his career in technology and cybersecurity.
Sales and Business Development Initiatives
Throughout his career, Billy Smith has implemented significant sales and business development initiatives. At PhishLabs, he transformed the messaging strategy for the combined business unit to align with customer pain points. He also reorganized the sales team structure to focus on large enterprises, mid-market, and strategic account management, optimizing sales processes and enhancing customer engagement.
Early Career and Technical Roles
Billy Smith began his career in technical roles, starting as a Computer Engineer at SPAWAR in 1997. He also worked as a Software Engineer at Cisco for six months in 1998. His early experiences in engineering provided him with a solid technical foundation that he later leveraged in sales and business development roles.