Kim Robertson Smith has always had a passion for caring for others since she was a young girl. Bringing joy to others has been one of her drives since joining the Smile Foundation back in 2001.
Her journey to becoming the CEO of the foundation, situated in Hyde Park, took decades of precise planning and following her heart.
Born in Port Elizabeth and raised in Benoni, Smith cherished every moment of her upbringing with her family as they ventured through life with adventures and sports activities.
“Growing up, I did every possible sport. Even though I loved sports with all my heart, academics was my everything. I absolutely loved school to the point where I couldn’t even decide which subject was my favourite at the time.”
After she completed high school, Smith studied nursing at the Kempton Park Hospital and the BJ Alexander Nursing College. One would automatically assume that Smith found her calling at that point, she did, but she discovered another, “I stayed in the medical field for some time as a medical sales representative.”
Adapting to a whole new environment and role has never been an issue for Smith. She continued to juggle her business studies and her profession in nursing. Her memories of the first operation that the foundation had are as vivid as if it was just yesterday.
“I have been working as a volunteer with the foundation since the first operation and that’s simply because I believed in it. The atmosphere in the theatre was exciting – seeing surgeons from all parts of the world sharing their knowledge to help Thando Manyathi [patient] was heartwarming. I feel like my whole path has led to this exact moment. When the offer of CEO was presented to me I did not hesitate at all.”
Smith concluded that her new position enables her to make a difference in a lot of children’s lives and that she plans to further develop the foundation.
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