Judy Smith is a leading crisis manager and the founder and CEO of the crisis management firm Smith and Company. With over 25 years of experience helping the largest names and brands, Judy is often the first point of call during hard and uncertain times. Part of the board for Save the Children, Global Citizen and Ariel Investments, Judy is no stranger to the constant pressure of maintaining standards, using her experience to help guide her clients towards success. Her thought-provoking keynotes have been extremely well received at seminars, galas, conferences, grand openings and corporate functions.
Combining a public relations degree from Boston University with a legal education from American University, Judy established a strong foundation in crisis management. As the first African American woman to serve as executive editor of the American University Law Review, Judy would continue to break barriers throughout her career, becoming the first Black woman to hold many of her subsequent professional roles. In 1989, she was appointed Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney in Columbia and soon became Special Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary to President George Bush. In this role, she was commended for helping the administration navigate many controversies. After many years of service, Judy left to found her crisis management firm, Smith and Company. Since its creation, the firm has been instrumental in helping several high-profile clients, including Sony Pictures Entertainment and Amazon.
Alongside her firm, Judy also served as VP of Communications for NBC, with her career as a high-stakes crisis manager inspiring Shonda Rhimes’ hit series, 'Scandal'. As an accomplished author, Judy has written two books, ‘Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities into Your Biggest Assets’ and its follow-up, ‘How to Bounce Back from a Personal Crisis’. Beyond her books, she contributes thought-provoking pieces to the HuffPost and ABC News, while also providing crisis management analysis for every episode of 'Scandal' in her ‘What Would Judy Do?’ blog.
For her undeniable presence in the industry, Judy was named one of the top 50 most influential women in PR by PRWeek. She also received the prestigious New York Women in Communications Matrix Award. For her hard work and impact at the White House, Judy was awarded the President's Roundtable Trailblazer Entrepreneur Award. Judy has also been praised for bridging gaps and offering positive steps forward for her clients. For this, she has been awarded the Calvary Women's Services Hope Award, AT&T's Humanity of Connection Award and the Dana Reeve HOPE Award.
Judy Smith is an infamous crisis advisor, but her impact goes well beyond this. She has been a trusted voice in corporate boardrooms, at business summits and part of global initiatives. With a career spanning such diverse industries and responsibilities, Judy can deliver keynotes on topics from crisis in corporate America to PR and social media. Whether it's speaking at the Global PR Summit or appearing on CNN, Judy brings something unique to each event. To book a global powerhouse in crisis management, business, TV and more, contact Champions Speakers today!
Social Media
Books
Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities into Your Biggest Assets
Good Self, Bad Self: How to Bounce Back from a Personal Crisis
Judy Smith's Official Speaking Topics are listed below:
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. Nobody's perfect, and the same character traits that bring us success can lead to our downfall. It is the way each of us deals with personal character flaws that dictates whether we're going to succeed or fail. In "Good Self, Bad Self," Judy Smith distlls years of experience to share the tools we all need to face our mistakes and ultimately overcome them.
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.
- Women in Corporate America: From Competition to Collaboration
- Crisis Communications and Reputation Management
- Strategic Communications and Media Relations
- Leadership and Crisis Management
- Navigating Complex Communications Challenges
- Empowerment and Personal Development
- Social Media Revolution or Evolution: Crisis Communication & Public Relations in the Digital Age
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events:
"We had a fantastic experience!" - Capital One Services, LLC
"Judy Smith was so personable and really blew the crowd away with her willingness to go into the crowd and engage our students. This is one of the largest events our campus has seen that brought together our students, faculty and staff and a great way to kick off future programming here at University of Richmond." - University of Richmond
"Judy Smith and her team are a reference encyclopaedia of knowledge combined with experience that can command, guide, handle, influence, instruct, steer, supervise, and take overall charge of media relations with laser sharp understanding of the complex issues of law, medicine and forensic science." - Dr. Michael Baden, Host of the hit HBO Show Autopsy
"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
"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
"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 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
"Judy Smith has been doling out practical, no nonsense advice for over 20 years to her clients and her friends. Good Self, Bad Self is Judy in book form. Having worked with Judy and one her clients over the course of several months, I got to witness her style and effectiveness first hand. She is detailed, thorough, relentless, frank, and smart. Her course of action while strategic is also very thoughtful, and client sensitive." - Network Broadcaster Sports
"Judy Smith has a profound understanding of human nature, and we’re fortunate that she’s sharing what she knows about the importance of balance in our lives. Good Self, Bad Self isn’t just about getting out of a crisis once you’re in one--it’s a powerful, inspiring book that will help you better understand yourself in every situation." - Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author
"Judy Smith is a very savvy problem solver, and she’s incredibly tough. I’ve seen her handle head-strong clients and also senior producers of major television shows, and in each case, she was in command and relentless in working to implement her strategies. I hope to continue to watch her work her magic from afar, and never to need her services as a client." - The Humane Society of the United States
- 2025 - Keynote speaker for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) conference in Washington, D.C
- 2025 - Corporate and Non-Profit Board Work for the boards of Save the Children, Global Citizen and Ariel Investments
- 2021 - PRWeek Hall of Femme
- 2017 - Won AT&T's Humanity of Connection Award
- 2017 - Won the Matrix Awards, outstanding women in communication
- 2015 - The President's Roundtable Trailblazer Entrepreneur Award
- 2015 - Won Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's Dana Reeve HOPE Award
- 2014 - Awarded the Calvary Women's Services Hope Award
- 2014 - ADCOLOR's Catalyst Award
- 2013 - Published Good Self, Bad Self: How to Bounce Back from a Personal Crisis
- 2012 - Published Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities into Your Biggest Assets
- 1993 - VP of Communications at NBC
- 1993 - Founded Smith and Company
- 1989 - Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
- 1987 - Deputy Director of Public Information and Associate Counsel in the Office of the Independent Counsel
How to hire Judy Smith
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Judy Smith for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
