Tye N. Smith

As a talent acquisition specialist for Caterpillar Inc., Tye N. Smith recruits for all mid- to senior-level IT management positions at the company. Despite holding this position for less than a year, he has quickly become a rising star inside the Human Resources department, with multiple articles written about the impact and innovation he brings to their recruitment efforts. 

Prior to his arrival at Caterpillar, Smith worked at Advanced Technology Services for more than four years in a variety of HR roles. During his tenure, he successfully implemented an international recruitment strategy with the United Kingdom and Mexico, established efficient processes and aligned the organization’s recruiting strategies globally, and put strategies and teams in place that are still utilized at ATS today. He also completed the Bell Leadership Achievers program and was a trainer for the Emotional Intelligence initiative.

Smith is a co-founder of the Jaguars Squad Male Mentoring Program at Sterling Middle School, which serves 20 students who have been labeled “at-risk,” teaching them successful life skills through programming, guest lecturers and positive engagement. Since the program’s creation, its members’ grades, attendance and behavior have improved dramatically, leading it to be honored as Mentorship Program of the Year by the Peoria Public Schools Foundation in 2019. 

A longtime Junior Achievement (JA) volunteer, Smith was instrumental in curating its young professionals group and now serves as board chairman. He has volunteered with JA’s annual Bowl-A-Thon and is in the process of starting the Peoria area’s first High School Heroes program, which trains students to be leaders in the classroom. Smith has also volunteered in numerous capacities for the Heart of Illinois United Way, American Red Cross and EP!C. He served as a formal mentor for the Southern Illinois University Leadership Development Program and is a member of several Caterpillar employee resource groups. PM