Karyn Smith is the general counsel, chief compliance officer, and corporate secretary at Twilio, roles she has held since 2014.
Smith has over 20 years of experience with high growth technology companies and a passion for developing high-performing teams. Her areas of focus include corporate securities, IPOs, public company reporting, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, risk management, and policy and government relations. She was the first lawyer to join Twilio’s team, leading legal, regulatory compliance, government affairs, and privacy teams.
Previously, Smith was at online video game company, Zynga, in the role of vice president and deputy general counsel. She oversaw corporate matters and directed the company’s successful 2011 IPO. Prior to Zynga, she was at Cooley LLP as a partner, where she worked with emerging growth companies at different stages.
Smith’s leadership continues to garner recognition, most recently with a thought leadership award from the Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards (formerly known as the National Women in Law Awards) in 2018.
She currently serves on the boards of USTelecom, the Software Alliance, and BSA.
Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri, Columbia and her J.D. at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.