January 2026 Volunteer of the Month

 

Caroline Smith
Deputy General Counsel International
HireRight

 

My role at PBSA:

Co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee at the PBSA

 

Why I wanted to volunteer with PBSA:

It is the best way to collaborate, challenge ideas, and share insights that elevate our industry and help shape its future: turning shared purpose into real impact. In addition, where else could I find folks who are just as passionate about the industry as I am?!

 

What I do when not at work:

Work keeps me very busy, but in my spare time at the weekends you will find me on the terraces at Fulham Football Club cheering on “London’s Original Football Club”. I also love playing (and watching) tennis, swimming and I am a certified Yoga teacher. Other than that, it is the small things, reading, seeing friends & family, theatre visits and I love to get outdoors into nature, easier than you would think in London with all our parks, gardens, and the Thames River.

 

What I'm reading:

“The Joy of Background Screening”… but seriously, after re-reading A Christmas Carol (a tradition), I’ve moved on to Isabel Allende’s The Wind Knows My Name. You can’t beat a bit of magic realism to fend off the January blues.

 

Favorite website, podcast, blogs, etc.:

Anything news-related. My secret ambition is to be a roving reporter for breakfast TV.

 

On my desk right now (books, personal items, etc.):

A Billy the Badger figure (the Fulham mascot), a photograph of my niece, and a cactus—the only thing I can be trusted to keep alive.