Bill Smith

Bill Smith is a retired senior executive with broad experience in operations and technology roles.  He most recently served as interim CEO of PG&E Corporation, one of the nation’s largest electricity and natural gas utilities, in 2020 after joining the Board of Directors in October 2019.  He remains a member of the company’s Board of Directors.    He also serves as Chairman of Tillman Networks, a privately held provider of services for a range of emerging technology industries, and Zayo Communications, a leading communications and infrastructure provider. Additionally, he serves on Advisory Boards for Blue Ridge Networks, a leader in network security services, and MaxLinear, a provider of high performance integrated circuit and software solutions. 

Mr. Smith retired as President, AT&T Technology Operations in September 2016.  In that role he was responsible wireline, wireless, and information technology functions including technical space planning, hardware planning, engineering, compute, storage, construction, optimization, customer care, network operations, and integrated IT control functions across the company’s global service footprint. These responsibilities included a team of over 100,000 employees. His organization also performed business service and infrastructure operations, planning and engineering.  In addition, Bill was responsible for global service delivery and assurance. 

Mr. Smith began his career with the former BellSouth Corp. in 1979, and held numerous positions in technology, operations, product development and public policy. He was involved in BellSouth’s advanced technology efforts, and was responsible for the company’s DSL, Internet and wholesale business units. Also at BellSouth, he served as Chief Technology Officer, where he was responsible for setting the overall technology direction for BellSouth’s core infrastructure. In that position, he was responsible for network and operations technology, Internet Protocol applications, next generation strategy, and BellSouth Entertainment, LLC.

A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Mr. Smith graduated with honors from North Carolina State University at Raleigh in 1979.  He previously served as Chair Elect for Dallas CASA, a non-profit organization serving the best interest of children in the community, as past Board Chair for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama, and the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.