Daniel Smith

Dan is CEO at Raines International, where he advises private equity investors, Fortune 500 companies, and boards on critical C-suite and leadership appointments. Working across the consumer, industrial, business services, and private markets sectors, he is known for helping clients build leadership teams capable of driving growth, transformation, and value creation.

Dan has spent more than 20 years in executive search, partnering with premier private equity firms and blue-chip corporations on high-stakes talent decisions. Since joining Raines in 2005, he has advised organizations ranging from growth-stage businesses to some of the world’s largest investment firms and public companies. In 2019, he succeeded the firm’s founder, Bruce Raines, as CEO. His work spans CEO and board advisory, portfolio talent strategy, and senior C-suite searches.

Drawing on decades of client partnership, Dan and his team have built the firm around four core value drivers—pace, consistency, responsiveness, and data—reflecting what clients seek most in a long-term executive search partner. Clients trust his judgment and pragmatic understanding of leadership developed through advising organizations at critical moments.

Dan previously served as a Founding Board Member of America Needs You, a national nonprofit focused on economic mobility for first-generation college students, serving from inception through 2024.

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