Leesa Smith

My tenure as Assistant Director of Network Recruiting & DSO Relations was a pivotal chapter in my career at Careington, strengthening my expertise in provider network expansion, strategic partnerships, and DSO engagement. I led the recruiting sales team to onboard new dentists into our PPO and discount networks, ensuring we met the evolving needs of leasing clients and key industry players. In parallel, I managed our DSO Relations Team, overseeing relationships with the largest Dental Service Organizations. This included spearheading credentialing and delegated credentialing operations while advising DSOs on office acquisitions based on network needs. By aligning recruitment strategies with business objectives, I played a key role in expanding access, optimizing network performance, and reinforcing Careington’s leadership in the dental industry. This experience laid the groundwork for my transition into a broader leadership role—leveraging deep industry insights to drive growth, innovation, and strategic partnerships at scale.

As Network Recruiting & Sales Manager, I directly led the sales team responsible for recruiting providers into our PPO and discount networks. I developed and implemented targeted recruitment strategies to expand network access, ensuring we met the needs of leasing clients and key industry partners. Beyond recruitment, I focused on optimizing sales performance, coaching my team to exceed goals while building strong relationships with dental providers. My role required a balance of strategic execution and hands-on leadership, ensuring network growth aligned with business objectives. This experience sharpened my ability to drive results, manage high-performing teams, and lay the foundation for larger-scale network and partnership strategies in my future roles.

As Network Recruiting & Sales Trainer, I balanced two key responsibilities: delivering high-impact training to elevate team performance while meeting my own production goals as a recruiter. In addition to driving provider recruitment into our PPO and discount networks, I developed and led training programs focused on effective sales techniques, relationship-building, and industry-specific strategies. This role required me to go beyond personal production—coaching team members to optimize their approach, improve conversion rates, and exceed targets. I worked closely with leadership to refine our recruitment strategies and ensure alignment with network growth objectives. By combining hands-on recruiting with strategic training, I strengthened both individual and team-wide performance, laying the foundation for my future leadership in network development and DSO relations.

As a Network Recruiting & Sales Specialist, I was responsible for high-volume outreach, making 50-80 calls per day to dental offices and Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) to onboard providers into our PPO and discount networks. I worked targeted call lists from leasing clients and provider referrals from individual members, ensuring strategic network growth. Throughout this role, I gained hands-on experience in building and expanding provider networks, working to establish and grow multiple networks from the ground up. This included playing a key role in the development of a UK dental network for Munroe Sutton, Careington’s sister company, where I actively recruited dentists across the region to strengthen market presence. Success in this role required consistency, persistence, and resilience—not letting rejection phase me while continuously refining my approach to overcome objections and close deals. Through this, I developed the core sales skills that became the foundation of my career. My dedication and performance were recognized as I earned Recruiter of the Year three times, a testament to my ability to build relationships, drive results, and expand provider networks. This experience laid the groundwork for my transition into leadership, where I would later coach, train, and manage high-performing sales teams.

Helping members of Women in DSO be well to lead and innovate boldly.

As Assistant Vice President of Launch Loyalty, a powerhouse brand under Careington, I drive strategic revenue growth by delivering membership plan solutions that fuel expansion across the dental and healthcare industries. With a relentless focus on results, I lead brand strategy, business development, and high-impact partnerships, ensuring our solutions not only drive profitability but also create sustainable value for our clients. As the brand ambassador of Launch Loyalty, I bring our vision to life—leveraging data-driven insights, market intelligence, and innovative sales strategies to strengthen our industry presence and accelerate growth. My ability to compartmentalize complex initiatives allows me to stay laser-focused on forging strategic alliances, amplifying brand visibility, and delivering measurable success. A decisive, revenue-driven executive, I believe in bold leadership that empowers teams to act swiftly, innovate fearlessly, and execute with precision. By fostering relationships and driving growth strategies, I position Launch Loyalty—and our clients—for long-term success in an ever-evolving industry.

As Director of Launch Loyalty, I led the department with a strong focus on execution, revenue growth, and enterprise expansion, ensuring that our membership solutions delivered measurable success for dental groups nationwide. Overseeing business development and client success, I worked closely with our teams to acquire, implement, and optimize membership programs that drove profitability and long-term retention. In this role, I was instrumental in securing enterprise-level partnerships, managing high-impact accounts, and scaling our solutions to meet the evolving needs of the industry. While my focus was on driving revenue and operational excellence, I also worked alongside cross-functional teams to refine sales processes, improve client onboarding, and enhance the overall performance of our membership programs. With the full department reporting to me, I ensured that our business development and client success teams were aligned, efficient, and equipped to execute at a high level. My ability to navigate complex client needs, oversee large-scale implementations, and drive business growth positioned Launch Loyalty as a trusted leader in the membership space.

As Assistant Director of Loyalty Markets at Careington, I specialized in delivering high-value custom membership plan solutions that empowered large dental groups to drive revenue growth, enhance patient retention, and build long-term financial stability. My role blended strategic sales execution, consultative selling, and operational oversight, ensuring that each membership program was tailored to the unique needs of our clients. With a focus on scalability and profitability, I worked closely with cross-functional teams—including business development, operations, and client success—many of whom indirectly reported to me. I played a pivotal role in shaping sales strategies, streamlining processes, and optimizing plan performance to support the expansion of our partners. A results-driven leader, I thrived on building relationships, uncovering growth opportunities, and executing sales strategies that helped our clients maximize their membership offerings. My experience in managing enterprise-level dental partnerships and aligning internal teams to deliver seamless, revenue-generating solutions set the stage for my continued success in leading large-scale membership initiatives.

As Assistant Director of Network Recruiting & DSO Relations, I oversaw the UK recruitment efforts for Munroe Sutton, leading the same high-performing sales team responsible for expanding Careington’s U.S. provider networks. I directed strategic recruitment initiatives to grow the UK network, ensuring strong provider participation and alignment with business objectives. In addition to recruitment, I managed the DSO Relations team responsible for maintaining and expanding relationships with UK dental groups. This involved strengthening partnerships, optimizing credentialing processes, and strategically advising DSOs on network expansion opportunities. By driving both provider recruitment and dental group engagement, I played a key role in expanding Munroe Sutton’s presence in the UK. This experience further developed my expertise in international network development, provider acquisition, and strategic relationship management, reinforcing my ability to build and scale provider networks across diverse markets.

As Network Recruiting & Sales Manager, I led the recruiting sales team responsible for growing the UK provider network for Munroe Sutton, Careington’s sister company. I developed and executed recruitment strategies to expand the network, ensuring strong provider participation and market coverage. My role involved overseeing high-volume outreach to dental offices across the UK, refining recruitment tactics, and coaching my team to effectively onboard providers. By driving consistent growth and strengthening relationships with dental professionals, I played a key role in expanding Munroe Sutton’s footprint in the UK market. This experience provided deep insight into international network development, provider engagement, and market-specific recruitment strategies—critical skills that have shaped my expertise in building and managing large-scale provider networks.