Judy Smith

Founder & CEO , Smith & Company

About This Expert

Judy Smith will be honored with a Matrix Award for her incredible work in the area of crisis management and public relations leadership.

Ms. Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith & Company, a leading strategic and crisis communications firm. Over the last 25 years, Ms. Smith has brought her unique combination of communication skills, media savvy, legal and political acumen to clients facing a wide array of issues and challenges throughout the United States and abroad. As a result of her wide-ranging and groundbreaking career, Shonda Rhimes, creator of ABC’s hit television dramas “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”, developed a television drama about the world of crisis management inspired by Ms. Judy Smith.

The series entitled, Scandal, revolves around the life and work of a professional fixer. Ms. Smith serves as Co- Executive Producer of the project and provides insight and technical expertise on crisis management issues. Ms. Smith honed her skills through her experiences with some of the most historic and sensational events of our time, including the Iran Contra investigation, the prosecution of former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, the 1991 Gulf War, the Los Angeles riots, the President Clinton scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, the congressional inquiry of Enron, the General Petraeus CIA scandal, the Sony Corporation hacking crisis, and the United Nations Foundation and World Health Organization response to the SARS epidemic. Perhaps best known in media circles for her expertise as a crisis management advisor, Ms. Smith has served as a consultant for a host of high profile, celebrity and entertainment clients over the course of her career including, but not limited to, Monica Lewinsky, Senator Craig from Idaho, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., actor Wesley Snipes, NFL quarterback Michael Vick, celebrity chef Paula Deen and the family of Chandra Levy.

Ms. Smith has been featured in numerous national publications including the Washington Post, National Journal, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company and writes on current events for the Huffington Post and the Daily Beast. Smith is an experienced and sought-after commentator as a crisis management expert. She frequently appears on major television networks such as CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, NBC, ABC, and CBS to offer commentary on topical issues of the day.

Ms. Smith also lectures on crisis management before corporate boards, academic institutions, and other professional groups. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Smith worked as a writer and public affairs specialist for several publications and private organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Boston University and graduated from the American University Washington College of Law where she was the first African-American woman to serve as Executive Editor of the Law Review.

Ms. Smith is the author of the book, Good Self, Bad Self, published by Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. She has received numerous communications and leadership awards and is active in community service.