Meet the Management Team
William W. Smith Jr.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Grove City College, where he now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, and launching his career with companies such as RCA Computer Systems, Xerox Data Systems, and Rockwell International Corporation, Bill co-founded Smith Micro Software, Inc. in 1982. Guided by his visionary leadership and savvy business acumen, Smith Micro developed a reputation as a trusted software solution provider to wireless carriers and cable companies. Throughout the company’s 39-year-history, Bill has overseen more than 25 strategic acquisitions and has built Smith Micro into a multi-national company positioned for sustained success in the rapidly evolving global telecommunications industry. Bill has served as Smith Micro’s President and Chief Executive Officer since its inception and as Chairman of the Board since the company’s successful IPO in 1995 (NASDAQ: SMSI).
David Blakeney
David joined Smith Micro in 2011 and is responsible for Development Engineering and Program Management. Prior to this role, he led the development team for several Smith Micro products as well as the Wireless Products Quality Engineering team. Prior to joining Smith Micro, he served as Vice President of Product Development for Marconi’s Broadband Switching Division and Vice President of ATM Engineering at Fore Systems. Previous positions also include engineering management roles at 3Com Corporation and Texas Instruments. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and studied for a Masters in Electrical Engineering at Rice University.
Von Cameron
As Chief Revenue Officer, Von leads the company’s customer acquisition, customer management, and sales and systems engineering teams. A recognized expert in building successful sales and business development operations and driving new customer acquisition, Von has over 30 years of experience selling technology solutions to communications service providers and enterprises globally. He has held executive management positions with Openwave, Oracle, FoxT, and Booz Allen & Hamilton and was instrumental in helping each of these firms grow their worldwide customer base. Von brings a strong leadership style, a focus on customer satisfaction, and a unique blend of experience selling high value “solutions” directly to enterprises, communication service providers, network equipment providers, systems integrators, and device manufacturers. Von served proudly in the United States Air Force and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Math–Operations Research from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, Springs, CO and an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA.
Anup Kaneri
As Vice President of Worldwide Products, Anup leads the Product Management team across Smith Micro. His expertise in product innovation and extensive experience building direct-to-consumer products play a key role in supporting Smith Micro to achieve its goals. Before joining Smith Micro in 2019, Anup worked for venture capital, where he managed enabling investments in emerging areas balancing strategic potential with technology and financial discipline. He formerly worked at Fortune 50 companies to lead the product innovation, development, and strategy to bring new technology solutions to the market. He also co-founded two successful startups focusing on building disruptive mobile platforms. Anup holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management from Pune, India, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
James M. Kempton
Jim joined Smith Micro in 2021 and oversees all finance, accounting and control functions, and human resources companywide. With his unique background that includes extensive experience with public and private-equity backed companies, as well as a Big 4 public accounting firm, Jim provides strategic, operational, and financial perspectives on a multitude of focus areas, including SEC and other regulatory matters, as well as Sarbanes-Oxley and internal controls over financial reporting. During his career, Jim has been heavily involved in various equity and debt offerings, as well as bringing significant experience in M&A activities, including leading integrations of acquisitions. Jim holds Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration from Thiel College and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Charles Messman
Charlie joined the Company in 2016 as Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. Charlie assumed the role of Vice President, Marketing in December 2022 and oversees the Company’s global marketing, digital monetization, public relations and design teams, while continuing to manage corporate development and investor relations activities. He brings more than 26 years of experience working with a large range of technology companies providing investor relations counsel and advising on strategy, financing alternatives, M&A and marketing activities. Prior to joining Smith Micro, Charlie was the Vice President of Finance & Corporate Development at eGain Corporation, and he co-founded The MKR Group, serving as its President, where he managed investor relations, corporate development, and marketing activities for several technology companies with a wide range of market capitalizations. He is well known on Wall Street for having a strong marketing presence throughout many diverse industries. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Iowa State University.
Jennifer Reinke
As Smith Micro’s General Counsel, Jen is responsible for the company’s corporate governance, compliance and legal affairs, including contract negotiation, securities compliance, and mergers and acquisitions activity. Prior to joining Smith Micro in 2017, Jen served as General Counsel of Tollgrade Communications, a technology solutions provider in the telecommunications industry. Prior to her service at Tollgrade, Jen began her career at the international law firm, Reed Smith LLP, where her practice was focused on corporate and securities, M&A and financing transactions for a variety of private and public company clients. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University.
Ken Shebek
Ken joined Smith Micro in 2010 and is responsible for the IT, Operations, and QA organizations. Prior to Smith Micro, he was Vice President of Operations for Tollgrade Communications. He also served as Vice President of Supply & Logistics for Ericsson, Inc. and worked for Marconi as Vice President of Supply Chain and served as its Vice President of North American Operations. Prior to joining Fore Systems in 1994, he held management positions with IBM. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.
David P. Sperling
Dave is responsible for architecture and innovation for the company’s entire software portfolio. He has worked in the telecommunications industry since 1989, beginning as a software engineer and advancing to the CTO role in 1999. Dave’s expertise and innovation in fixed and wireless broadband connectivity has increased the adoption, security, and reliability of wireless services and mobile devices for consumers and businesses. Dave is a recognized thought leader and a contributor to several standards and industry organizations, including the Open Mobile Alliance, Wireless Broadband Alliance, Wi-Fi Alliance, and the USB Implementers Forum. Dave currently holds five patents for various Internet and connectivity-related technologies. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine.
Steve Stroud
As Vice President of Program Management, Steve brings over 25 years of experience and expertise leading business and technology solutions to Smith Micro. During his career, he has served in a variety of roles across diverse industries, such as aviation, defense & military, energy, healthcare, and transportation, culminating in the CEO for Bohemian Group (aka Templar Companies), a technology consulting company. Steve has worked with many Fortune 500 companies such as Eli Lilly, Halliburton Energy, Hewlett Packard, and Toyota. Prior to joining Bohemian Group, he was a Business Solutions Manager for Hewlett Packard for 10 years. He also served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force in Europe for 10 years.
Eytan Urbas
Eytan joined Smith Micro in April 2021 as Vice President, Corporate Strategy, as part of the company’s acquisition of Avast Software’s Family Safety mobile business. At Avast, Eytan served as Vice President of Business Development and directed a global portfolio of strategic partnerships focusing on Family Safety, 5G and IoT Security; revenue growth & optimization; and inbound / outbound technology licensing. Prior to Avast Eytan served on the executive management team at Mailshell, a provider of internet security solutions for the OEM market, where he oversaw ISV & Strategic Alliances; go-to-market strategy; and international expansion. Eytan holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.