The advisor behind the advisory.
CNP Executive Advisory is a division of CNP LLC, founded by Christopher M. Smith. It exists to help music creators, digital content creators, and emerging entrepreneurs build the business structure behind their creative work — with advisory grounded in real enterprise experience, not theory.
Christopher M. Smith
Founder & Principal Advisor · CNP LLC
Christopher M. Smith brings over a decade of global enterprise operations leadership to CNP Executive Advisory. As Executive Director of Operations under the parent company Nortek Inc. — overseeing multiple brands across four continents — he led technical operations, product training, supply chain operations, and managed over 100 global distribution relationships. His work contributed to enterprise-scale deployments for the NFL Network, Walmart (300 locations, $9M deployment), the LA Lakers at Staples Center, and digital signage systems featured all over the world. Through the Nortek companies, his client portfolio included Disney, Pixar, Netflix, ESPN, ABC, Sony, Universal, Lucas Studios, MTV, Adidas, not to mention several nationwide advertising agencies.
He holds a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship, completed with a 4.0 GPA, and a B.S. in Digital Arts Engineering — an individualized degree combining electrical engineering, film and media studies, and music composition. He is currently completing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership at National University.
Christopher's academic journey was shaped by resilience. After being diagnosed with and beating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, he channeled his recovery into completing his MBA in a year and a half with a perfect GPA — then continued directly into the doctoral program. That experience reinforced a commitment to building something meaningful and helping others do the same.
His background spans global enterprise operations and the entertainment industry, giving CNP a perspective most advisory practices simply don't have.
Advisory built on enterprise experience, delivered with clarity.
Through CNP Executive Advisory, Christopher helps clients move from scattered ideas into clearer structure, stronger workflows, better business organization, and practical next-step direction. Every engagement uses CNP's custom AI-supported advisory workflow — producing documents, dashboards, memos, workflows, and planning systems designed to help clients build with greater consistency and momentum.
CNP Executive Advisory is one of three divisions under CNP LLC. CNP LLC also operates CNP Sound & Motion (music production, audio engineering, and media) and CNP Culture & Impact (community programming, education, and socially responsible initiatives). Each division reflects a different dimension of Christopher's professional background, unified under one practice.
“To serve and educate clients across communities by helping them understand the business side of what they are building — especially when access to the right tools, guidance, structure, or support has not always been available.”
CNP Executive Advisory exists to make business growth more practical, more human, and more accessible so clients can move forward with clarity, confidence, and a stronger foundation.