Richard W. Smith
Chief Operating Officer, International, and Chief Executive Officer, Airline
FedEx
Follow Richard on LinkedIn
Richard W. Smith is the chief operating officer, International, and chief executive officer, Airline, FedEx. In September 2025, he was elected to the FedEx Board of Directors, lending his extensive FedEx experience and representing the legacy and values of founder, Frederick W. Smith, and the Smith family. He also serves on the executive committee, which sets the direction for the FedEx enterprise.Â
Prior to his current role, Richard led FedEx Express from 2022 - 2024 as president and CEO. From 2019 – 2022, Smith served as regional president of the Americas, which includes U.S. domestic, Canada, and Latin America & the Caribbean, and executive vice president of global support for FedEx Express. In this role, Smith led FedEx operations for the U.S. government’s COVID-19 response task force and oversaw the successful distribution of roughly half of all COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.
Smith, who joined FedEx in 2005, has previously served as the president and CEO of FedEx Logistics. His FedEx career also includes a series of leadership positions in life sciences/healthcare, network planning, and customer solutions, including serving as vice president of global trade services and managing director of life sciences and specialty services.
Smith is on the board of governors for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the board of directors of Airlines For America. He also serves as a FedEx co-lead for the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, aimed at addressing climate change and supporting the company’s 2040 sustainability goals. Following his former role as chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Smith currently serves on its Chairman’s Circle Board.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Smith earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Richard W. Smith is the chief operating officer, International, and chief executive officer, Airline, FedEx. In September 2025, he was elected to the FedEx Board of Directors, lending his extensive FedEx experience and representing the legacy and values of founder, Frederick W. Smith, and the Smith family. He also serves on the executive committee, which sets the direction for the FedEx enterprise.Â
Prior to his current role, Richard led FedEx Express from 2022 - 2024 as president and CEO. From 2019 – 2022, Smith served as regional president of the Americas, which includes U.S. domestic, Canada, and Latin America & the Caribbean, and executive vice president of global support for FedEx Express. In this role, Smith led FedEx operations for the U.S. government’s COVID-19 response task force and oversaw the successful distribution of roughly half of all COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.
Smith, who joined FedEx in 2005, has previously served as the president and CEO of FedEx Logistics. His FedEx career also includes a series of leadership positions in life sciences/healthcare, network planning, and customer solutions, including serving as vice president of global trade services and managing director of life sciences and specialty services.
Smith is on the board of governors for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the board of directors of Airlines For America. He also serves as a FedEx co-lead for the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, aimed at addressing climate change and supporting the company’s 2040 sustainability goals. Following his former role as chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Smith currently serves on its Chairman’s Circle Board.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Smith earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.