Prior to joining Gateway, Smith served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of CompuCom Systems, Inc., an information technology services and solutions provider, headquartered in Dallas, TX. Smith joined CompuCom as corporate controller in 1993, was appointed CFO in 1997, and elected to its Board of Directors in 2001.
Before working at CompuCom, Smith held a variety of positions with several companies, including Coca-Cola Enterprises and Abbott Laboratories.
Smith earned a Bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Since 2003, Smith has been a member of the Board of Directors of Global Imaging Systems and served on the audit and governance/nominating committees.
Gateway, which manufactures and distributes computers and servers (PCs) and PC-related products all over the world, has about 1,800 employees. Despite Gateway's size, it still considers itself "a small company at heart" and values each and every employee, the company website says.
Gateway understands that the employees are vital to the company's success. Therefore, the human resources department works to ensure that all employees' concerns and praises are heard. "We couldn't do what we do without them. For that reason, no one at Gateway is faceless and no one is voiceless. This approach has helped us get where we are, and we believe it will help us get to where we want to be," the company website says.
The company highlights six key values that are especially important to achieve Gateway's business goals - honesty, common sense, accountability, quality, teamwork, and fun.
Gateway also values its customers as it strives to deliver innovative technology and provide outstanding customer service. In order to achieve these goals, the company implements changes based on customers' feedback.
"We are also dedicated to listening to the feedback we receive, which will then be incorporated into our products and services to better serve our customers' needs," the website says.
Individuals who are interested in applying for a position with Gateway should be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment. In order for Gateway to remain competitive in the technology industry, employees must be prepared to constantly learn about new developments related to the business.
The company provides an intranet to help employees stay up to date on current industry and economic trends. In addition, Gateway offers tuition reimbursement assistance, products and sales training, as well as leadership and management training.
Gateway's training teams work with business leaders to provide services, including instructor-led training, web-based training, and product demonstrations. Employees are encouraged to participate in these opportunities, which will help enhance their skills and prepare them for promotions.
Once hired, Gateway employees can expect to receive a wide range of benefits. The company offers competitive benefit plan options, and pays most of employee and family premium costs for health benefits each year, according to the company website.
Many company-paid benefits are available to both full-time and part-time employees, including life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, paid vacation/sick/holidays, employee assistance program, company and partner technology discounts, direct deposit, and disability coverage.
Many optional benefits are also available to full-and part-time employees, including health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), life insurance, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts, 401(k) retirement savings plan, group auto and homeowner's insurance, business accidental insurance and traveler's assistance, and prepaid legal. In addition, full-time employees can also choose to receive tuition reimbursement and adoption assistance benefits.
