Philadelphia native and AccuWeather intern turned CEO, Smith wins regional award recognizing his leadership, innovation and long-term business impact

Release Summary

• Steven R. Smith, CEO of AccuWeather, named national finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® after winning the Greater Philadelphia region
• Panel of independent judges selected Smith based on his entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven leadership, and record of building long-term value
• Under Smith’s leadership, AccuWeather has expanded its global reach, accelerated innovation across consumer and enterprise platforms, and advanced its mission of saving lives, protecting property, and helping people and businesses make better weather-impacted decisions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AccuWeather Global Weather Center — AccuWeather^®, the most trusted source of weather forecasts and alerts with proven Superior Accuracy™ – announced today that its Chief Executive Officer, Steven R. Smith, has been named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® National Finalist. Smith was named a winner of the Greater Philadelphia Regional Award Thursday, June 11, at the Union League of Philadelphia. He was one of 11 regional winners named from the list of 30 finalists for the regional award.

“Winning the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Greater Philadelphia region and becoming a National Finalist is an honor I share with every single member of the AccuWeather team,” Smith said. “This achievement belongs to the people who show up every day committed to a mission that truly matters — saving lives, protecting property, and helping people and businesses around the world make the best weather-impacted decisions. That mission has guided us for more than 60 years, and it is the heart of everything we do.”

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Steven R. Smith’s Journey and Impact on AccuWeather

A Philadelphia native and graduate from Penn State University with a degree in meteorology, Smith joined AccuWeather as a forecasting intern in 1997 and rose through the organization to become CEO in 2023.

“Having grown up in Philadelphia and started my professional career journey at AccuWeather as an intern, this recognition is one I will carry with great humility and immense pride,” added Smith. “To now be named a national finalist alongside this extraordinary team is a testament to what we have built together, with many more successes to come. Philadelphia shaped me, AccuWeather defined me, and this team is why I am receiving this incredible honor.”

Today, he leads a global weather technology company whose forecasts, warnings, and weather intelligence help more than a billion people worldwide make better decisions every day.

Under his leadership, AccuWeather is expanding the reach and impact of trusted weather intelligence worldwide, using advanced data, AI, and forecasting technology to improve safety, strengthen resilience, and help individuals and businesses prepare for weather-related risks.

Smith is driven by the pursuit of the perfect weather forecast, believing that more accurate forecasting can save lives, reduce economic disruption, and help people make better decisions.

Why Smith Was Selected

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® program recognizes visionary business leaders whose innovation, leadership, and growth create lasting impact, and his role in expanding AccuWeather’s reach to more than one billion people across 190+ countries, helping communities and businesses make better weather-impacted decisions. An independent panel of judges selected Smith based on his entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven leadership, and record of building long-term value.

How AccuWeather Has Grown Under His Leadership

Under Smith’s leadership, AccuWeather has expanded its global reach, accelerated innovation across consumer and enterprise platforms, and grown its enterprise weather intelligence business to support an API platform handling more than 30 billion requests per day, positioning AccuWeather as a foundational data source.

What’s Next

As a regional winner, Smith advances to consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^® National Awards, which recognize some of the nation’s most accomplished business leaders.

Media Contact:

Please contact pr@accuweather.com during regular business hours, or support@accuweather.com or call the AccuWeather^® Media Hotline at (814)-235-8710 at any time to arrange interviews with AccuWeather^® experts or to request the most updated graphics for print or broadcast.

About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com

AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, has saved over 12,000 lives, prevented injury to over 100,000 people, and saved companies tens of billions of dollars through better planning and decision-making.

A billion people around the world rely on AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™ across our consumer digital platforms. AccuWeather.com is the #1 weather destination and one of the top 100 most-visited websites in the world, and our award-winning AccuWeather app delivers detailed real-time forecasts to millions of smartphones.

AccuWeather forecasts also appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, are heard on over 400 radio stations, and viewed on 100 television stations. The AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW^® reach an audience of over 125 million on cable and streaming platforms.

AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay for the most accurate weather forecasts than from any other source.

Visit AccuWeather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts, weather news, and information, and download the free AccuWeather app for Android or iOS. 

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SOURCE AccuWeather, Inc.