Joelle Smith has been a key architect of First Advantage’s strategic transformation and growth trajectory since joining the company in 2017. Rising through several critical leadership roles—from Executive Vice President, to Chief Experience Officer, to President of Data, Technology & Experience—Joelle was appointed President of First Advantage in 2024 following her successful stewardship of the company’s global product, technology, and experience portfolio.

In her current role, Joelle oversees First Advantage’s end-to-end commercial engine, including global product and technology P&L leadership as well as the company’s integrated go-to-market organization comprising sales, customer success, and marketing. She is accountable for driving enterprise strategy, accelerating innovation across all products and services, enhancing customer outcomes, and ensuring strong operational execution to support sustainable revenue growth and margin expansion.

Under Joelle’s leadership, First Advantage has deepened its competitive differentiation across its technology platform—enhancing automation, improving speed-to-hire for customers, modernizing product architecture, and strengthening global scalability. Her focus on unifying product, technology and commercial motions has improved customer retention, expanded share of wallet, and fueled cross-portfolio innovation.

Prior to joining First Advantage, Joelle held multiple executive roles in technology consulting, where she led corporate strategy, large-scale transformation initiatives, and operational restructuring programs that delivered measurable financial improvement, accelerated growth, and meaningful market differentiation.

Joelle holds a Bachelor of Science degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and was selected to the inaugural class of the Wharton School’s Women on Boards program.