Rick Smith

Rick Smith is the founding CEO of World 50, cited as one of the world's most influential senior executive networking companies. He is the co-author of The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek bestseller The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction, which has been sold into 13 languages and remains one of the top-selling professional career books of all time. His second book The Leap: How 3 Simple Changes Can Propel Your Career from Good to Great will be published by Penguin/Portfolio in September 2009 leapbuilder.com.

A leading commentator on careers and professional and personal success, Rick Smith has been featured by more than 50 media outlets, including CNN, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Sirius Satellite Radio, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fortune and Chief Executive.

Smith has amassed an incredible and eclectic personal Rolodex, having worked or collaborated with dozens of world, business and cultural icons, including: Bono, Alan Greenspan, Robert Redford, Francis Ford Coppola, Magic Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Larry Bossidy, Martha Stewart, Jon Stewart, Norman Schwarzkopf, Senators Robert Dole and George Mitchell, Steven Colbert, Russell Simmons, Sir John Major and many others.

A serial entrepreneur, Smith is currently working on the launch of several new companies. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and three children.