U+ Welcomes Product Innovation Leader Bryan Smith to Executive Team
After eight years of leading product and innovation initiatives at tire and vehicle service giant Bridgestone, Bryan Smith has turned his talents to shaping and growing U+’s innovation strategy. We’re delighted to welcome him on board.
Prominent product, brand, and innovation leader Bryan Smith has joined U+ as its Vice President of Innovation Strategy. With over a decade of venture-building experience across multiple industries, Bryan is renowned among innovators for his business development expertise, his command of consumer and B2B sales channels, and his analytical problem solving abilities.
Bryan’s far-reaching knowledge of product building and business development principles, acquired over many years of scaling internal innovation teams within Fortune 500 companies, makes him a formidable addition to the U+ leadership team and enhances our capacity to deliver value to clients.
After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2012 with a master’s degree in Business Administration, Bryan joined beverage leader Brown-Forman where he served as associate brand manager for the company’s flagship brand, Jack Daniels. In this role, he led multiple product launches including the US launch of Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select, a premium whiskey product that remains a successful brand extension today.
In 2014, Bryan left Brown-Forman to join Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber company, where he initially worked as a senior associate brand manager. Over the next eight years, Bryan acted as a strategic thought leader, created commercialization frameworks for profitable new businesses, and drove a series of high-value collaborations and partnerships, including with the Olympic Winter Games in 2018.
More recently, Bryan served as Director of Product for Bridgestone’s Mobility Solutions business. Leading a fifteen-person team, he helped generate new revenue models delivering millions in annual recurring revenue with significant future growth trajectories. Additionally, he led investment strategy in new automotive service startups, which created multiple successful investments, partnerships, and collaborations.
“U+ is a fast-growing organization that stands at the cutting edge in terms of technology, structure, culture, and methodology – and I’m excited to play a role in shaping its strategy at a high level,” says Bryan. “Joining a global innovation studio and venture builder like U+ allows me to put my skills to use across a diverse range of projects, products, and businesses.”
With a stellar track record in building, commercializing, and launching ambitious new businesses, Bryan is a welcome addition to the U+ leadership team as the firm navigates the next stage in its global expansion.
The U+ Method can efficiently and effectively lead the development, implementation, and improvement of innovations in any sector. To date, we have used this method to bring 100+ ideas to reality, and products to market, creating over $2 billion in value for Fortune 1000 companies. Check out U+ success stories here.