AccuWeather CEO Wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Named Finalist for National Honor

AccuWeather CEO 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 on 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.”

A Philadelphia native and a Penn State graduate with a degree in meteorology, Smith joined the State College-based 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,” Smith said. “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.” 

Smith leads a global weather technology company whose forecasts, warnings and weather intelligence reach more than a billion people worldwide, according to AccuWeather.

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

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program recognizes visionary business leaders whose innovation, leadership and growth create lasting impact. Smith was recognized for his role in expanding AccuWeather’s reach to more than 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. 

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, according to the company. 

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.