Background
Smit was born in "t Harde in 1957.
Smit was born in "t Harde in 1957.
He studied theology at Leiden University between 1976 and 1983 with side courses in masscommunication and public relations.
He was previously trade union leader of the Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond. He went to the Doctor West.A. Visser "t Hooft lyceum in Leiden between 1970 and 1976. In 1979 he already returned to his former lyceum to teach courses in religion and life stance, he continued until 1984.
He then became a mental caretaker in the Dutch army at Seedorf in Germany, also for four years.
He stayed on until 1997. In 1994 he started managing, first as a senior manager at Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler Consulting until 2001, later at IBO Permanent between 2000 and 2005.
Between 2001 and 2003 he was also a consultant at Andersson Elffers Felix. From August 2003 until 2010 he was a director at Slachtofferhulp Nederland, a society for victim support.
Afterwards he became trade union leader of Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond, a federation of Christian trade unions.
He was in function between June 2010 and 1 January 2014, when he became King"s Commissioner of South Holland. He succeeded January Franssen, who served two terms of seven years. At the start of his term he said he would focus on making the province level of government more visible and on ensuring that trust of the population would be returned.