Leigh Smith - Nominee for Talent Innovator Award

Leigh is an Early In Career Talent Outreach Manager at NetApp. In their role, Leigh manages, maintains and fosters relationships with universities and educational development programs across the United States. With a continual focus on building a reputable brand with Early In Career talent, Leigh is passionate about creating an inclusive and supportive experience for candidates. Beyond the recruiting process, Leigh takes pride in helping candidates realize their full potential and cultivate meaningful careers at organizations like NetApp.

Career Highlight

When COVID-19 hit, Leigh was tasked with spearheading the transition of moving NetApp's talent outreach efforts for the Early In Career space from in-person engagements to a fully virtual experience for candidates and employees. During the Fall 2020 - Spring 2021 recruiting season, the NetApp Early In Career team attended/hosted 188 virtual events and were able to engage with over 6,100 candidates. Some highlights that Leigh and her team were able to accomplish were their first ever Webinar Series with over 700 attendees and additional partnerships established with HBCU's and HSI's.