Chris Smith is Chief Operating Officer of WestWater Research. He leads operations and growth, with a focus on increasing the impact and value WestWater creates for clients and the water industry as a whole.
Chris oversees the firm’s advisory, research, and data businesses, including Waterlitix™, the largest pricing source for western water transactions, and the Nasdaq-Veles California Water Index (NQH2O), for which WestWater is the exclusive data provider. He also leads WestWater’s work for investors and developers, including water bank advisory, acquisition diligence, trading and offtake agreements, and asset valuation in California and Texas.
Chris leads the Sustainable Water Investment Summit (SWIS), WestWater’s flagship event, which draws 150 to 200 attendees from finance, utilities, and government. Since 2024, he has planned and executed the conference, built the full agenda, and invited speakers. He has also moderated sessions, including a fireside chat with M. Camille Touton, former 24th Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He has guest lectured on water economics and markets at The Wharton School and Columbia Business School.
Before joining WestWater in 2023, Chris spent more than 16 years at Accenture leading strategy and consulting work for federal, non-profit, and commercial clients. He specialized in digital transformation, operational optimization, accelerated growth, and improved citizen services.
Chris holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA in Management and Operations from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
