Smart Spotlight: Julie Knight on Life at Smart
By Smart Communications
At Smart Communications, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Through our Smart Spotlight of the Month series, we celebrate team members whose passion, dedication, and impact help shape our success.
This month, we’re proud to feature Julie Knight, our Chief Marketing Officer. Julie joined Smart Communications in May 2025 and hit the ground running.
Keep reading to learn more about Julie, what fuels her work at Smart, and why she made the decision to join the team.
1. What is your role at Smart and how long have you been with the company?
I’m the Chief Marketing Officer and joined Smart Communications in late May of this year. It’s an exciting time to be in marketing. We sit at the intersection of brand, demand, product, and customer experience. What makes it even more meaningful is the impact we have on customers in highly regulated industries like insurance, healthcare, and financial services, who are looking for more compliant, frictionless ways to engage with their own customers.
As a customer myself of many companies in those industries, I understand firsthand how much personalized engagement, ease of doing business, accuracy, and security matter. That mission is one I’m proud to support.
2. What did you do for work prior to joining Smart, and why did you make the switch?
I’ve been CMO at several SaaS companies, each at different stages of growth and maturity. The common thread has always been the people: smart, passionate teams who care about delivering real value to customers. At Unit4, I really enjoyed our focus on people-centric industries such as non-profit, public sector, and professional services. When you focus on the specific challenges your customers face, whether by industry or business function, you can drive real outcomes and speak to what truly matters. It’s not about showcasing features; it’s about solving the right problems.
That same opportunity exists at Smart. We’re helping organizations in regulated industries modernize how they communicate by making those interactions more personalized, more compliant, and ultimately more frictionless for the end customer. That’s the kind of challenge I find deeply motivating.
3. What skills are needed to be successful in your role/on your team?
Curiosity, courage, and clarity. You need curiosity to understand what’s happening in the market, in the lives of our customers, and across the regulatory landscape. Courage to push boundaries and test new approaches. And clarity to connect the dots from vision to execution and rally cross-functional teams behind shared outcomes. Deep functional expertise matters, but success comes from translating that into business impact.
4. What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
Hands down, it’s the people, both internally and externally. I love working alongside talented colleagues, but I’m equally energized by our customers. When we help an insurer streamline claims communication, or a healthcare provider deliver more compassionate patient outreach, that’s when the work truly matters.
5. What are you doing when you're not working?
Spending time with family, which includes our two labs, Zoe and Fiona. My husband and I love to travel, play golf, and explore new restaurants. Living in Las Vegas definitely has its perks. There’s always something new to try.
