More than ten years ago, Shane Smyth was a recent college graduate looking for a job. With a strong educational foundation in technology, Shane was entering the workforce with an open mind about where his path could lead. At the time, Shane’s father worked at a company that used Salesforce. Shane’s father encouraged him to connect with their family friend who was a managing director at a Salesforce consultancy about internship opportunities. This internship marked Shane's first experience in the marketing automation space and became the launching pad for his journey with Salesforce — igniting his passion for technology and setting him on a path to master Marketing Cloud.
Jumping headfirst into his internship, Shane quickly gained hands-on experience with Marketing Cloud in handling email engagement and customer interactions. He enjoyed the nature of his work and was astounded by the depth and usefulness of Salesforce. After his internship concluded, Shane transitioned to a full-time role kicking off his successful career in the Salesorce ecosystem. From building and leading a team of Marketing Cloud specialists, to co-founding a Salesforce practice, Shane continued to deepen his expertise in various roles at different companies in the years that followed. Expanding beyond Marketing Cloud, Shane became proficient in CRM Analytics and Commerce Cloud, earning Salesforce certifications as he went along building a diverse skill set.
What drew me in [to Salesforce] was the depth and complexity of the product—not in a way that makes it hard to work with, but the possibilities. I’ve always loved the architecture side of tech, putting puzzle pieces together. Salesforce allows me to do all of that and more.
Shane SmythCTO, Saltbox Mgmt
As he shifted his professional sights from Marketing Cloud towards Commerce Cloud, Shane recognized the lack of accessible resources for learners in both products. Shane relied heavily on content created by Trailblazer Community members to deepen his knowledge. Inspired by the Salesforce MVPs who had guided his learning journey, Shane launched his own YouTube channel, SalesforceMojo. Through his videos, blogs, and speaking engagements, Shane made learning more approachable for others. While Trailhead’s Marketing and Commerce Cloud resources have grown considerably since that time, his channel remains a valuable educational resource, helping newcomers and experts alike understand the breadth of Salesforce’s capabilities. While Shane continued to empower others through SalesforceMojo, he also brought his innovative mindset to Saltbox Mgmt, where he now leads transformative solutions in commerce.
At Saltbox Mgmt, a Salesforce Ventures-backed implementation partner, Shane serves as CTO, leading the charge in technical innovation and customer success. Saltbox Mgmt specializes in commerce, order support, and crafting end-to-end B2B and D2C buying journeys that digitally transform customer experiences. In his role, Shane leads technical teams, collaborates with customers to deliver innovative Salesforce solutions, and shares his expertise within the Trailblazer Community. Shane has been deeply involved in Commerce Cloud advancements, including his contributions to Agentforce’s development of its shopper agents — Merchant, Buyer, and Personal Shopper. Since Agentforce launched, Shane has worked closely with product teams, providing invaluable insights into the needs of commerce customers, shaping solutions that drive success. Beyond his work at Saltbox Mgmt, Shane’s commitment to collaboration and innovation extends into the broader Trailblazer Community through impactful initiatives like Code It Forward.
Shane’s commitment to the ecosystem extends beyond the product itself, and into open-source collaboration. As Co-Founder of Code It Forward, Shane manages an open-source git repository for Commerce Cloud components. The repository, maintained by over a dozen partner organizations, allows contributors to share code and artifact resources with one another that make implementations easier. Maintained by over a dozen partner organizations, the repository enables contributors to share code and resources, simplifying implementations for all collaborators—even among competitors. Additionally, Shane is a participant in educational programs to skill up future Trailblazers. He is a volunteer teacher through the Autonomous University of Yucatán‘s Salesforce program, mentoring the next wave of tech professionals in Merida, Mexico. Shane’s journey exemplifies the power of community and the limitless opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem.