• McKenna Smith has been appointed Managing Director of SBTi Services after serving as Interim Managing Director and Deputy Director at SBTi.
• Smith has overseen and approved more than 9,000 corporate and financial institution GHG inventories and targets aligned with SBTi standards.
• Her appointment comes as SBTi scales its global validation services for companies facing rising investor, regulatory, and climate accountability pressure.

The Science Based Targets initiative has appointed McKenna Smith as Managing Director of SBTi Services, placing an experienced carbon accounting leader at the helm of one of the most closely watched functions in corporate climate governance.

The appointment comes as companies face rising pressure to set credible emissions targets, validate their decarbonization plans, and respond to investor scrutiny. For many boards, SBTi validation has become a key marker of climate credibility. It is also a growing operational challenge as more companies seek technical review of their greenhouse gas targets.

SBTi announced the appointment in a LinkedIn post, stating: “We’re pleased to announce that McKenna Smith has been appointed as Managing Director of SBTi Services.”

Smith joined SBTi in 2021, during an early stage of the organization’s development. She previously served as Deputy Director at SBTi and later as Interim Managing Director of SBTi Services.

Technical Expertise Meets Operational Scale

Smith brings a technical background in greenhouse gas accounting, value chain strategy, and large-scale validation operations. Her earlier career included roles as a carbon consultant and auditor, where she managed client accounts and developed GHG baselines.

At SBTi, she led strategic oversight and technical delivery for target validation. That work helped scale the validation pipeline to process thousands of corporate targets each year.

Her track record includes oversight and approval of more than 9,000 corporate and financial institution GHG inventories and targets. Those approvals were assessed against SBTi standards, which are used by companies to align climate targets with science-based decarbonization pathways.

SBTi said Smith “combines deep technical carbon expertise with strong operational delivery and strategic leadership—a combination that has been central to the transformation of Services in recent years.”

That combination matters. Target validation is no longer a niche sustainability process. It now sits inside boardroom risk management, capital allocation, disclosure planning, and transition strategy.

Scaling Services For A More Demanding Market

Smith will lead a global team of more than 50 experts across seven countries. She is also responsible for delivering the SBTi Services customer pipeline.

That role places her at the center of a fast-growing demand cycle. More companies are setting climate targets as regulation, stakeholder expectations, and supply chain pressure converge. Investors are also paying closer attention to whether climate commitments are credible, measurable, and independently assessed.

For C-suite leaders, the appointment points to a broader shift in corporate climate governance. Science-based targets are moving from voluntary ambition to operational discipline. Companies now need data systems, validated baselines, supplier engagement, and clear accountability across business units.

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SBTi noted that Smith has played “a key role in strengthening the Services function, supporting its growth and helping to enhance the experience of companies and stakeholders engaging with the SBTi.”

That focus on user experience is not minor. Companies often face complex validation processes, changing technical requirements, and pressure to move quickly. A stronger Services function could help reduce friction while maintaining credibility.

Why This Matters For Executives And Investors

For investors, the appointment is relevant because validated targets are increasingly used to assess transition readiness. Weak or unclear targets can create reputational, regulatory, and capital market risk. Strong targets, backed by credible inventories, can support more disciplined transition planning.

For executives, Smith’s leadership reinforces the need to treat climate targets as enterprise-wide commitments. They require finance, procurement, operations, legal, and sustainability teams to work from the same emissions data and governance structure.

Smith is also a recognized voice in the climate sector. She has delivered keynote addresses at ChangeNow in Paris, the Innovation Forum, and an OECD-partnered conference in Geneva. She holds an MSc in Carbon Management from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc in Sustainability.

SBTi said: “As SBTi continues to scale its work with companies globally, McKenna’s leadership will be instrumental in strengthening and evolving Services for the future.”

The appointment gives SBTi Services a leader with direct experience in both carbon methodology and operational delivery. As global companies face tighter scrutiny on climate claims, that balance will be central to the next phase of science-based target validation.

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