Judy Smith
The real-life inspiration behind ABC's hit political thriller series "Scandal" is also the US's premiere crisis management expert.
Judy A. Smith is the founder and President of Smith & Co, a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. Most recently known for being the inspiration for ABC’s hit show SCANDAL. 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. Ms. Smith honed her skills through her experiences with some of the most historic and sensational events of our time. 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, actor Wesley Snipes, NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and the family of Chandra Levy.
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 front lines 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.
“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.”
“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.”
