Judy Smith

Leading Strategic and Crisis Communications Expert, Inspiration for the Hit TV Show “Scandal”

Topics: Crisis Management, Communication, Black History Month, Branding & Marketing, Business Leadership, DE&I – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Empowerment, Entrepreneur, Media, Resilience, Politics, Societal Issues, Strategy, Women Leaders, Business, Corporate Culture, Elite Performance, Professional Development, Teamwork

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Biography

When a news story breaks and an individual or corporation becomes enmeshed in a scandal, Judy Smith is routinely consulted to help mitigate crises and manage the news. Using her keen insight to examine all of the facts, she develops an action plan that time and again alleviates the pressure on her high-profile clients.

As the founder and president of Smith & Company — a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. — Smith uniquely combines her communication skills, media savvy, and legal and political acumen to serve clients around the world. She is also the real-life inspiration behind the hit TV Show Scandal.

Smith honed her skills managing some of the most historic and sensational events of our time, including the Iran Contra investigation, the prosecution of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, the 1991 Gulf War, the Los Angeles riots, the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas, President Clinton’s scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, the congressional inquiry of Enron, the United Nations’ and World Health Organization’s responses to the SARS epidemic, and most recently the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. She is the author of Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities Into Your Biggest Assets and she frequently appears on major television networks such as CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ABC, NBC and CBS to offer commentary on topical issues of the day.

Internationally, she has provided counsel to heads of state and executives of major corporations in the Philippines, Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands, Jamaica, and Saudi Arabia, where she assisted the Kingdom’s leadership with its communication strategy during the War on Terror.

On the home front she has advised Fortune 500 companies including Wal-Mart, BellSouth, Union Pacific, Starwood Hotels and United Healthcare and consulted with individuals such as Paula Deen, Monica Lewinsky, Idaho senator Larry Craig, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., actor Wesley Snipes, and NFL quarterback Michael Vick.

Videos

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Crisis 101: Surviving & Thriving in an Era of Perpetual Crisis

The instant and global nature of the Information Age has made the ability to navigate crises of all stripes a critical component of an organization's success. Due to perpetual 24/7 news cycles and ever-expanding digital media platforms, it is harder than ever to successfully communicate a message or shape public opinion. In this presentation, speaker Judy Smith - one of the nation's top crisis managers - outlines the best practices in crisis management she has gleaned over 25 years of experience on the frontlines of many of the most high-profile crises and scandals around the world.

Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities into Your Biggest Assets

Whether the problem is debt, infidelity, indiscretion, or merely an embarrassing email sent to the wrong reader, we have all found ourselves in bad situations of our own making. And whether that puts you in a delicate position or a full-blown crisis, it can sometimes feel as if there is no way out. Enter Judy Smith, America's #1 crisis management expert. In "Good Self, Bad Self," based on her book by the same name, Smith shares her methods, gleaned from years of professional experience, for smoothing over a bad situation while providing the tools to prevent similar incidents from ever happening again.

Exploring the underlying factors of some very public and often unpleasant scandals, Smith shows how different situations could have been prevented. As she shares her method of repairing the damage that these situations can cause, Smith also explains what we can all be doing in our own lives to prevent a crisis from getting started.

Testimonials

The response to Judy was extremely positive from everyone I spoke to—board members as well as other conference attendees. She was dynamic, on point and very approachable to all those who wanted to talk to her. Thank you for suggesting her as an option.

– Association of Corporate Counsel - Wisconsin Chapter

Judy did an amazing job! She was extremely engaging during her Q&A segment and had a really great message to offer, which we felt really resonated well with the students. The event was extremely entertaining and catered to a variety of audiences including fans of the show Scandal as well as law students, students interested in communications, and even diversity and women's advocates. Overall, the night was definitely a success!! A big thank you to everyone at APB for working with us to put on this event. You have all been so helpful throughout the entire process, and it has been a pleasure working with your agency. Thanks so much!

– Dates & Data Chair - Ohio Union Activities Board

Judy was a terrific addition to our programming this year. She was really very nice, and I think the crowd responded to her so well in part because she was so approachable. Her comments and stories were very interesting and insightful.

– McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

It was great! Everyone who attended felt as if she was very humble and a great speaker. They loved how interactive she was and how she related to us. Bringing her to The University of Central Florida was a great decision!

– Community Affairs Specialist - Student Government Association, University of Central Florida

I have known Judy Smith for many years and she is one of the best crisis managers out there. Good Self, Bad Self is a really important book and offers a unique way of looking at crisis.

– Larry King