Gary Smith began his insurance career as a marine underwriter and specialty insurance manager with the British insurance leader, Royal Insurance. Early line experience in Commercial Property and Casualty insurance centered heavily on field office management including branch operations in California and the Carolinas as well as regional executive responsibility for all West Coast operations. As a “staff officer”, Gary managed the development, implementation, training and support of all core Information Technology systems. His final duties with Royal were as operating executive for that organization's unbundled insurance services company.

A member of the Society of Property and Casualty Underwriters, Gary has also worked with an international claims management and consulting firm specializing in claims management and litigation support for Professional Liability underwriters in the London market. He was a licensed Claims Manager in California and is currently a licensed Property and Casualty Agent in North Carolina.

Gary is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and has attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A veteran of the US Army, he and his wife Susan, have three grown daughters and reside in Charlotte, NC. There he is CEO of his own company, NOVUS Maintenance Management Insurance & Consulting.