Smart Communications names Heidi Johnson to lead AI push

Smart Communications has appointed Heidi Johnson as Chief Product and Technology Officer, as long-serving Chief Technology Officer Simon Tindal prepares to step away from day-to-day responsibilities.

Johnson will lead the company's product and technology organisation and take responsibility for its innovation strategy. She succeeds Tindal, who has worked at Smart Communications for more than 20 years and played a central role in developing its core platform.

Smart Communications sells customer communications software to organisations in regulated sectors. The company positions its platform around compliance-focused digital communications and data handling.

Leadership change

Tindal will transition out of the business and pursue new personal ventures. Smart Communications said he will remain involved as a full-time adviser over the coming months. The company said he will work with Johnson during the handover period.

Smart Communications framed the leadership shift around the next stage of product development and an expanded focus on artificial intelligence. The company said it intends to advance its AI roadmap while maintaining compliance and security.

Leigh Segall, CEO of Smart Communications, linked the appointment to the company's plans for product development and AI work.

"Heidi brings a proven track record of building and scaling enterprise-grade platforms, with deep expertise across product, cloud, data, and AI in highly regulated environments," said Leigh Segall, CEO of Smart Communications.

"Her customer-centric approach and ability to translate complex technology into real business impact make her the right leader for this next chapter. She steps into the role with a strong foundation built through Simon's extraordinary contributions over more than two decades. Simon's impact on our growth, resilience, and evolution alongside our customers cannot be overstated, and we're deeply grateful for his leadership. With Heidi leading our product and technology organisation, we're well positioned to accelerate our innovation roadmap and AI vision, and we're excited for the continued momentum Heidi's arrival brings to SMART," said Segall.

Background roles

Johnson joins Smart Communications after senior positions across software and data businesses. Smart Communications said she has held leadership roles at Bloomberg, IHS Markit, Komodo Health, and Carta.

The company described her experience as spanning customer experience, cloud platforms, data and AI. It also pointed to work in regulated industries as a fit with its customer base in sectors such as insurance and financial services.

Smart Communications said Johnson has also served as Chief Product Officer in Residence at Products That Count. It said she is a mentor with MIT Sandbox.

Johnson said she saw Smart Communications as a business that sits across domain expertise and established technology. She also highlighted the company's focus on security and compliance.

"Smart Communications is uniquely positioned at the intersection of deep domain expertise, trusted technology, and a clear vision for the future," said Heidi Johnson, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Smart Communications.

"The product suite is built to operate at enterprise scale, with security, compliance, and resilience at its core. I'm excited to build on this foundation and accelerate our product and AI roadmap to deliver meaningful, compliant innovation for customers operating in highly regulated industries," said Johnson.

Product focus

Smart Communications sells what it calls the Conversation Cloud platform. The company said the platform covers omnichannel communications, orchestration, data capture and digital archiving. It said customers use the system for customer conversations that require audit trails and policy controls.

In its description of the product, Smart Communications said it has more than 30 pre-built connectors and integrates with systems including Salesforce, AWS, Guidewire, DuckCreek, OneSpan, and Pega. The company said its platform handles more than 60 billion customer conversations each year.

Smart Communications also said it serves more than 700 enterprises globally. It named customers including Zurich Insurance, Priority Health, The Pacific Financial Group, and The Bancorp.

Transition period

Tindal described his departure as a handover to a new leader with relevant experience. He also referred to the company's focus on regulated environments.

"I'm incredibly proud of what we've built at Smart Communications," said Simon Tindal.

"This company has always been about solving real problems for customers operating in complex, regulated environments, and that focus has never been stronger. Heidi is an exceptional leader with the right experience and vision to take the platform forward, and I'm excited to support a smooth transition as the company enters its next chapter," said Tindal.

Smart Communications said Johnson will work with Tindal during the advisory period as she takes over leadership of product and technology. The company said it plans further work on its product roadmap and AI-related development as the transition progresses.