In 2005, she worked with the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa on a three-day Wealth Creation Summit in urban communities for their hometown, Kansas City, Kansas. The event attracted national leaders from both the public and private sectors.

In 2004 she launched a best practices conference for organizations committed to increasing their diversity recruitment goals. She has consulted with companies to enhance their diversity initiatives and develop fast track programs. She continues to mentor former MBA students who are now CEOs, divisional presidents and senior executives in major corporations.

Portia began her business career as a marketing representative for the Xerox Corporation in Kansas City. She later joined the IBM Corporation in marketing and sales. Her career at IBM moved her to St. Louis, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. where she held several advisory marketing positions. She then was recruited to serve as Director of Sales and Marketing and Training with Public Service Company in Denver, Colorado. Later Portia moved to Sprint Corporation where she managed consumer products.

She was promoted to manage the recruitment practices in the Executive Development Department. In this role she led a team developing strategic partnerships with national organizations focused on MBA recruitment, development and retention. She recruited MBAs who had the ability to move to an officer level position in an accelerated timeframe. It was her goal to insure that the members of this fast track program were diverse. She worked closely with senior level officers and top business school professionals while managing a $2.5 M annual budget.

Portia also was the co-founder of Diversified Recruitment, Inc. a division of P & L Group who publishes the Black MBA Magazine. Throughout her career she has been able to gain experience and insight into developing the unique needs of high potential and emerging leaders within today's diverse and complex organizations. Portia's skills, experiences, relationships and deep business acumen all combine to make her uniquely qualified to lead PKS Executive Search and Consulting.

Her passion for diversity expands into her personal life and community involvement. She is a longtime volunteer for the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, National Society of Hispanic MBAs and National Black MBA Association. Currently, she is working with the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa on a three-day Wealth Creation Summit in urban communities for their hometown, Kansas City, Kansas. This event will attract national leaders from both the public and private sectors.

Portia regularly makes her expertise available to others through teaching and speaking engagements throughout the country. Business 2.0, Black Enterprise, and Black MBA Magazine have sought Portia for articles and comment. In addition, she frequently teaches a negotiations workshop for business school students. Portia Kibble Smith is a Kansas City native and a graduate of the University of Kansas, where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Personnel Administration from the School of Business. She is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, a former officer for Black Achievers and former member of the DeanÕs Advisory Council at the University of Chicago. Her interests include collecting African American art, jewelry design and traveling. She and her fourteen-year-old son, Morgan, reside in Overland Park, Kansas.